Ever Mine, Ever Thine, Ever Ours
by Acciosnuffles
Summary: Sirius has escaped from Azkaban, determined to find Peter Pettigrew while believing that his wife, with whom he has had no contact in twelve years, has moved on and forgotten about him. However, he receives some startling information on the way.
1. The Escape

On the northeast coast of England was a picturesque village with the equally charming name of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. On this early morning in the middle of summer, the water was particularly calm, which was fortunate for the dog Padfoot, who had been swimming for what seemed like forever before the current began to pull him slowly toward shore. Once on the beach, he sank down on all fours, exhausted and hungry, and looked up and down the beach. Nobody was about just yet. He lay there, resting, wishing vainly that some food would drop magically out of the sky. Worse than that, he needed fresh water.

Finally, he heaved his wet body up and shook vigorously, ridding himself of the excess ocean water. Joints aching, he slowly padded up to some stairs off the beach and made his way up to a sidewalk, searching for a garbage can that might contain something to nourish him.

Later, with a full belly and feeling more energized, Padfoot traveled slowly away from the village and further inland. Eventually the topography became more wooded until the forest was so dense that daylight only filtered in randomly. When he was absolutely sure no one was around, Padfoot transformed into a human at last. Sirius sat against a large tree trunk and rested his head against it. He sat there calmly, taking in the peace and quiet for a while. So relaxed was he now, he fell asleep for a time. Eventually he awoke with a start, expecting to see dementors surrounding him, but there was only the frequent chatter of birds. Then, for the first time in ages, he allowed himself, somewhat tentatively, to think about his wife. He had considered her often in Azkaban, but was only allowed miserable thoughts there, usually imagining her long since remarried and happy, with several children, all Muggles and not concerned with his world. Now he had the luxury of picturing her as she had been with him, several years ago. He did so timidly at first, for fear of a dementor suddenly swooping down and stealing his thoughts. Eventually he realized that, other than the birds, he was all alone here, so he finally allowed himself the pleasure of searching his mind for her face. Unfortunately, though, the memory was elusive. It seemed that, for some reason, the harder he tried, he couldn't quite recall her features. They seemed just out of reach and he grew frustrated that his mind wouldn't cooperate.

The more he thought about her, he grew increasingly irate. Had she never cared to even look for him? Surely if she had wanted to badly enough, it would have been possible. The thought of her moving on and meeting someone else reentered his mind, and he was filled with a bitter loathing of whatever faceless man had taken his place. Could she divorce him without notifying him? Or maybe she thought him dead. Or had read about it all in the papers and assumed he was guilty. He had a sudden paralyzing thought of her looking at him with the same righteous contempt and hatred that everyone else had for the last twelve years. Now suddenly angry with her and disgusted with himself, he decided impulsively to forget about his absent wife for the time being and concentrate on keeping Harry safe. His own life didn't matter anymore, other than that. Sorry he had thought of her to begin with, he stood up, dusting himself off and snorting bitterly about the futility of that gesture. He was so filthy it didn't make a bit of difference. He transformed back into the large black dog and set off once again.

He traveled deeper into the forest, occasionally finding bits here and there to eat and hoping he was consuming nothing poisonous. Eventually he moved out of the deep woods and into the open, traveling quickly toward his first destination, which was to get a glimpse of Harry before moving back north to Hogwarts. He managed to find enough food to keep himself from starving, though some days were better than others. Once in a while, if he was very lucky, a kindly person would take pity on him and offer him a large bowl of dogfood or some table scraps. Usually he had to dig his meals out of trashcans, though, or consume the odd field mouse or rat if he could find one. Eating rats, he thought with satisfaction, was as much a symbolic gesture as anything, even if they weren't very filling. After close to a week of this, he was resting at dusk at the edge of a small wood. He had taken the chance of transforming into a person after checking carefully that he was completely alone. He lay peacefully on his back looking up at the darkening sky, locating the various constellations that he knew by heart from his youth. As he did, he saw a dark shape swooping down in his direction and, suddenly terrified, changed quickly into a dog, hoping if it was a dementor, he had managed to elude it. But it wasn't a dementor.

As the shape grew larger he realized it was a rather large owl, and it was holding several items which appeared to be letters. The owl landed with a thud, weighted down from all the mail it was carrying, and hooted softly at the dog. Padfoot glanced down at the objects the owl had released, and as he did so, the owl gazed balefully at him as though realizing there would be no payment. The dog, still not sure what was happening, nudged a leftover dead mouse to the owl, hoping that would satisfy him. The bird took one look at his pitiful offering and with a muffled hoot of "thanks but no thanks," took off again, leaving behind an astonishing assortment of mail. Quickly the dog transformed back into Sirius, who grabbed the first letter he could and examined it. Damn...now it was almost too dark to read, but he could just make out the name "Padfoot" on the letter. No address, just his old nickname. Sirius tore open the letter which contained a single sheet of paper and what appeared to be a small stack of pictures. But unfortunately it was now too dark outside to make out the writing. He looked around frantically for a source of light, seeing a twinkling glow off in the distance. He grabbed all the letters and stuffed them in his tattered robes, setting off in that direction.

He sat crouched in the shadows of a barn just out of sight. The glow of a floodlight that hung over the barn door provided just enough illumination to read by. Other than the occasional lowing of cattle nearby, the place was quiet. He sat against the wall of the barn, holding the letter just in the path of the light source and read.

It was dated 28 June 1990, three years ago, and was from his wife, he discovered with a jolt.

_Sirius my love,_

_I hope, as always, that this letter finds you alright. I know I say this every time, but I never get tired of repeating it. I love you more than anything and I think of you always. Here is the latest update on me and James (pictures included). _

_James? Who the hell?_ Sirius thought, wondering wildly if she had remarried a man named James, but he couldn't stop reading, still amazed to be seeing his wife's words right in front of him.

_We have been in Italy for a few weeks on holiday. I had read about a place on the Ligurian peninsula called the Cinque Terre, so we stayed there for a week. The hiking is incredible and James kept up very well. He is turning out to be so athletic. He looks just like you. I've included the most recent pictures of him. He has your smile, eyes, well everything. I guess I was just the incubator! Oh well, another old joke, but it's true. Anyway, as I said, we hiked lots and ate tons of great food. I probably drank too much wine, but who cares. I brought back as much as I was allowed, and I have a few bottles saved for someday when I see you again. I wish so much you could have been there. James asks me about you all the time, as always. I probably tell him the same things over and over again, but he doesn't care. He wants to know all about you._

At this, Sirius stopped reading for a minute and pulled out the pictures. They were all Muggle photographs, frozen in time, and mostly of a young boy who appeared to be between eight and ten years of age. Did he have a _son_? Laura hadn't ever said she was pregnant when he saw her last. Maybe she didn't know at that time. Dumbfounded, he stared at the boy who, as promised, resembled him a great deal. He was a good looking child with a sweet smile. He thumbed through the others, stopping at each one to examine the boy carefully. She apparently didn't think so, but Sirius could see features in James that reminded him of her. His eyes were almond shaped like his mother's, at least. He felt a lump rising in his throat at this wonderful surprise that had come from nowhere. Then he flipped to the next picture and with a rush of affection saw his wife smiling at him, standing on a hill with a beautiful village and the ocean at her back. She hadn't changed much over the years other than her hair, which was shorter. Still as beautiful as he remembered. The back of the picture said, "Vernazza, Summer 1990." He suddenly felt ashamed of his previous ill feelings toward her.

He picked up the letter and read the last part of it.

_Well, I should go for now. I wanted to write as always and let you know we are okay, just missing you like mad as I always have. You are not forgotten, and we pray for you every night. Giving you a virtual kiss and hug (wishing it was real), I love you, Sirius._

_Ever mine, ever thine, ever ours. (have to give Beethoven credit for that one)_

_I love you_

_I love you_

_I love you_

_Laura_

Sirius put the letter carefully back in its envelope. Then he opened the next, and the next. All of them were from his wife, with various dates throughout the last twelve years. All told him how much she and their son loved and missed him, and all updated him on his son's various stages of growth. There were more pictures in each one, mostly of the boy, but a few here and there of Laura. Tucking them in a pocket of his faded robes, he trekked back over to his original hiding place and, laying himself back down on his back, he held the letters against his heart and looked back up at the stars. For the first time in over twelve years, he felt alive again.

After a long and dreamless sleep, Sirius awoke slowly to the sound of soft rustling. Eyes still closed, he remembered last night's letter and, suddenly panicking, thought maybe it had all been a dream. He felt around desperately for the letters in his robes. Just at that moment, he felt a heavy weight land on his chest, shifting uncomfortably. Then something brushed his face softly and he felt a nibble on his earlobe. Just as he opened his eyes and yelped in pain, he saw a pair of large yellow eyes staring him down and a rustle of feathers. Suddenly a loud "Hoo!" rang out in his ear, and he sat up suddenly on his elbows, causing the source of his pain to dig its talons deep into his robes to steady itself. With a "Gaahhh!" of agony, he pushed the offending creature off him frantically, and, wild-eyed, jumped up to see an entire chorus of owls surrounding him on the ground. All held several letters and a few larger owls carried parcels. Other than the one rather excitable owl that had been on his chest, they all sat calmly waiting for him to compose himself and pick up his mail. He gaped at the amount of letters now awaiting him...there must be hundreds.

Picking up random bits of mail, he noticed that every single one was addressed to "Padfoot" in identical handwriting...all from his wife. With a joyful surge of affection, he was amazed at the amount of time that she had spent thinking about him and his welfare, even if she had no idea where he had been. He leafed through the post in his hand, wondering how on earth he would transport all this, but having no intention of leaving a single piece behind.

The owls left shortly thereafter, leaving him solitary once more. Sirius became worried that someone might see him, so he quickly tried to organize the huge pile of mail as best he could. Opening a parcel box, he peered inside and was touched to see that it contained several biscuits with a loving note from his son. Unfortunately the box was now several years old and the biscuits had long since gotten rather mouldy. Regretfully he set it aside as his stomach growled in protest, though he vowed to eat them anyway if food was scarce today. He piled as many letters as would fit in the box and moved on to the second one. This box appeared to be more recent, and contained an assortment of packaged biscuits and snacks, again from his son, which he quickly consumed. There was one other item in a tiny white box in the package. He opened it and saw that it was a leather cord bracelet with a single silver rune symbol dangling from it. A card accompanied the tiny gift. He realized it was a birthday card from last year with messages from Laura and James. He was heartened to find something more recent to show that she was still thinking about him. He put the bracelet on his wasted wrist, then realized that, thin as he was, it might come off too easily. He carefully placed it back in the box and into a pocket. After opening the remaining few boxes, he found that they contained more obviously homemade treats and artwork his son had made just for him. He added the contents to his pockets also and stuffed all the letters in a box, hoping he could scrounge somewhere and eventually find a more comfortable means of transporting them, or at least a safe and dry hiding place.

Without transforming back into a dog, he moved through the woods for a while until they grew more dense, struggling with his bulky load. Though the shade cooled the forest down considerably, it was a hot day and he sweated with the effort. Finally he came across a tiny stream, and, setting down his load, transformed into a dog so he could drink more easily. Lapping the water up noisily, he took his fill and after changing back to a man, sank down on the ground and picked up the next letter. Ripping open the envelope, he only observed the date on it, and set it down rather than reading it. He decided to open them all and put them in chronological order as best he could, then devote the majority of the day to reading them.

After almost an hour of effort, the mass of letters were reasonably organized by dates. Sirius munched on a stale biscuit as he began to read. His joy at initially discovering the notes was now dampened as he read, as it became obvious that his wife was extremely distraught at his absence, thinking since he was impossible to find, someone had done something sinister to him. The first letter had been written about a month after his disappearance. The blunt tone made it clear that she never expected him to read it; it was more a catharsis. At times it seemed to be somewhat stream of consciousness, where she had written the same thing repeatedly as if doing so would reveal what happened to him.

_Where are you??_

_What happened to you??_

_Are you alive?_

_I love you_

_Please tell me you didn't do those things_

_You couldn't murder anyone_

_God please be alright_

_I miss you_

_I am pregnant_

_Come back_

_We need you_

_I need you_

Sirius took the letter and placed it gently back in the pile. Quite emotionless, he resolved once again to murder Peter Pettigrew, not only for framing him and killing James, Lily and several innocent muggles, but also for Laura, left devastated by this turn of events, and the son he had never met.


	2. A Different Kind of Letter

I stared at the letter, unbelieving. Smooth, loopy handwriting spelled out "James Sirius Black" on the envelope with our address below it, including the curious phrase "The kitchen". I looked around the room in question, wondering irrationally if we were being watched, then glanced over at the recipient, who was watching me eagerly.

"Give it to me, mum! It _is_ for me!" Then a pause, followed by an earnest "Please!"

Ignoring him for the moment, I continued to gaze at the letter, frowning, wondering who on earth from a place called Hogwarts (with raised seal, no less) had written to my child. Finally I said, "Alright, but I'm reading it as soon as you get done!"

He immediately tore the letter from my grasp and, after ripping the envelope apart, pulled out several sheets of thick paper. How it had managed to fit in the confines of the envelope I had no idea. James scanned quickly over the top sheet, then lowered it, appearing confused.

"What is this, mum? Some kind of wierd party invitation?" He handed over the page in question and continued looking through the others as I read it. He looked increasingly confused as he read, but I barely noticed, so caught up I was in reading the page he had handed me.

The heading read: HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore, followed by what appeared to be various impressive-sounding credentials that meant nothing to me. Order of Merlin...what the hell was that?

I shrugged inwardly and read on.

_Dear Mr. Black,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on Monday, 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Below that was scrawled another message in the loopy handwriting from the envelope.

_Due to certain extenuating circumstances in your situation, I shall plan on visiting you and your mother personally this evening, the 21st of July at seven o'clock in the evening if that is convenient for you._

_Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster_

I had a fleeting absurd notion to address the invisible watcher in the kitchen to say we'd be home, but I refrained. It had to be some sort of insane joke and probably nobody was going to show up. I looked at the clock- 5:05 pm- and thought I may as well start dinner...after I read the rest of the letter, of course. James, having gone through the remainder of it already, was watching me closely, wondering if I was privy to some information that he wasn't.

"Witchcraft and wizardry? Do you really think there is such a thing?"

I was quiet for a moment, unsure what to say, then shook my head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I think there is a much more, um, _rational_ explanation behind this...most likely a bad joke." However skeptical I was after all these years, a part of me hoped this Dumbledore person would actually show up to shed some light on the subject. My son and I both had some very unusual quirks by most standards, ones I had accepted somewhat as here to stay, but had never really embraced. It was my husband, long since gone from our lives, who had magical qualities that a place called Hogwarts might be interested in.

"Let me see the others," I said to James, who had turned his attention back to the cover letter, reading it again. The remaining pages contained what appeared to be a summer reading list, with titles strange and obscure involving Dark Arts, History of Magic and Transfiguration, all titles which sounded intriguing. I tried to picture walking into my local WH Smith with this list. Another one was a list of items the student might find useful to bring with him to this place. An owl was actually listed as a preferable item. I pulled a face while perusing at the increasingly outlandish contents (a copper, not gold, cauldron?), thinking James must not be too far off to assume this could be a really fancy party invitation. Somebody had put a lot of thought into this.

The thought of my absent husband brought the usual pang of sadness. I still thought of him often, though he had been missing these past twelve years. Occasionally I would awaken from a dream of him so real that I would spend the next day in dark depression to realize that he wasn't actually with us. My son James was the only thing in my life that mattered to me now. Sirius was never coming back.

Sometimes, when I was feeling particularly melancholy, I imagined that he hadn't been sent to an unknown punishment but had instead deserted me to begin a new life elsewhere, if not in England, maybe on the continent, or even America, where I was from originally. I would try my best to push these thoughts away, knowing they were ridiculous and unproductive. The last memory I had was of a distraught Sirius kissing me passionately before leaving on his motorcycle in a rush, promising to explain everything when he returned, which he never did. I remember being insecure, thinking maybe he was meeting another woman. Then I had read in the London Times that Sirius Black had been arrested for the violent murders of thirteen innocent people.

We were both very young, in hindsight, to get married when we did. Of course, his best friend was already married and wife pregnant when Sirius and I were engaged, and they were no older than we were. But when I looked back, I felt that I had known nothing at that young age and still had so much growing up to do, much as I had felt that I owned the world.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I was twenty-one years old and a graduate student studying in London in May of 1979 when we met. It was a Sunday, an unusually warm day for spring and I had gone over to the boating lake at Regents' Park in London to work on my doctoral thesis. I plopped myself down on a deserted patch of lawn and stretched my body out on the grass, reading over what I had already worked on. Eventually I realized that on a day like this, studying (or revising, as everyone said here) was pretty much a lousy prospect. My mind kept wandering, settling on a young man and woman close by who were joking around with another twenty-something man, very handsome in my estimation. I slid my sunglasses on so I wouldn't be noticed, and watched them for a while. The two guys were clowning around while the woman laughed at their antics. It appeared that handsome (or "guapo" as I called him mentally) was not the one with the woman. He was something to look at...long wavy dark hair and short beard and moustache. He wore a pair of faded tight denims with boots and a t-shirt with a crest emblazoned on it, perhaps from a university. As I watched covertly, I saw him doing the same thing in my direction a few times. I pretended to be concentrating on my work, but kept watching him out of the corner of my eye, noticing him getting bolder about checking me out. He nodded in my direction and said something softly to his friends, who also looked over at me and laughed at him. I heard the other man say, "Okay, it's a deal!"

To my amazement and delight, Guapo came walking over and stood towering over me, then said, "Hello...mind if I join you for a minute?"

I looked up at him, taking off my sunglasses, and said, "Yeah, sure!" giving him what I hoped was a winning smile. He sat down beside me, glancing at my notes and minutiae strewn around me.

"What are you studying?"

"Working on my doctoral thesis in musicology...in other words, really boring stuff," I answered with a grin.

"Nah..that sounds interesting! What in particular?" he asked, eyeing a random page and examining it with his head tilted.

"Keith Emerson...my favorite keyboardist," I replied, slightly embarrassed. Most people I mentioned Emo to had no idea who he was.

"Really! How cool. Never was a huge fan of ELP, but I always thought he was an amazing musician. I take it you play the piano?"

I nodded. "Yeah, for years. And yourself?"

He smiled and I thought how attractive he was with his long dark hair and noble features. A long lock of it hung in front of one eye but he didn't bother brushing it out of the way, intent he was on looking at me.

"My mum made me take lessons for a while...then I guess she realized I was a lost cause and had mercy on me. I leave that to the professionals like Emerson...and yourself," he added politely but with a smile. "By the way, my name is Sirius Black. And you?"

The name caught me off guard. I thought for a moment trying to figure it out and said, "Like the star?"

He looked pleased. "Got it in one! Most people think I'm telling them I have no sense of humor," he said with a lopsided grin.

I laughed. "I like it. It's a beautiful name...very unusual. My name is much more mundane...Laura Ketron."

"Well, I think it's very pretty. What kind of name is Ketron?"

I said, "It's a bastardization of a German name, Kettenring. I guess my ancestors got too lazy to spell it the long way after they went over to America," I added, grinning.

"I did pick up on the unusual accent," he said. He stretched himself out on the grass, belly side down and rested his head on his hands. "So where are you from?"

"Just west of here," I said with a grin. "Eastern Tennessee." His position was giving me a great view of his ass, which I tried not to stare at.

"Ah...Elvis-land?"

I corrected him. "Actually, no, the other side of the state. As far as you can get from Memphis and not be in Virginia or North Carolina. And you are from...London?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes. I have a house here but I keep thinking I'd like to move somewhere more quiet." He shrugged. "London's a bit much at times. Be nice to live closer to my mate James and his wife," he added with a nod in their direction. At this, James and said wife looked over at us speculatively. Sirius ignored them and looked back at me with a smile. "So...dating anyone?"

My jaw dropped at the question posed so directly. "Uh, no," I said and couldn't help but smiling. This kind of thing was about as common as a hundred year flood. Hot guys never just dropped out of the sky to immediately ask me out.

"I wouldn't be so, er, blunt, but my friends and I will have to leave soon, and..." He tilted his head in the friends' direction and James, watching us, tapped his wristwatch with a shrug that said "sorry!" Sirius stared after them for a moment, then looked back at me.

"Well, I've interrupted your work enough for now. Guess I'd better be going. We have a really boring meeting to attend this evening, unfortunately." He rolled his eyes at this inconvenience.

"No, not at all. I've enjoyed talking to you!" I smiled at him, wishing he weren't leaving.

He looked at me, then said quickly, "Would you like to have dinner with me?"

I was secretly thrilled but tried to look nonchalant. "Yeah! That would be lovely. When did you have in mind?"

He thought a minute, then said, "Well, I know it's a weeknight, but how about tomorrow?"

Tomorrow! Guapo must be pretty interested.

"Sounds like a good way to start the week," I said, trying to be a touch flirty without overdoing it. "Did you want to meet somewhere?"

Sirius said, "We could meet, or I can pick you up if you'd like. Whatever you would rather do."

I thought fast, knowing the prudent thing would be to meet in a neutral location. But he seemed very nice, so I said, "You can pick me up if you want."

"Brilliant!" he said. "Where do you live?"

I proceeded to give him directions, noticing he wasn't writing any of this down.

"Um...do you need a pen?" I asked timidly, afraid he might forget where to go.

"No, I'll remember," he said with a confident grin. "I look forward to it."

I sat up and stretched. "Me too. It was very nice to meet you, Sirius."

He stood and brushed stray grass off his jeans. "It was nice to meet you, too, Laura." And with a smile that made me melt, he trekked back over to his two friends, who made ready to leave, and they all started to walk away. He waved back at me and I returned it, seeing the woman turn and smile back at me also as they left.

I laid back down, picking up my stuff and putting it away. No use even trying to work now..my head was filled with Sirius Black and the thought of a hot date.


	3. The Visitor

"_Favorite group?"_

"_Beatles."  
_

"_Really? Not ELP?"_

"_No way. Beatles."  
_

"_Favorite Beatles album?"_

"_Sergeant Pepper's. No, wait! Abbey Road. You?"_

"_I'm asking the questions here, Miss Ketron."_

"_Sorry...pray continue."_

"_Favorite film?"_

"_Uh, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I guess."_

"_Good one!"_

_Sirius and I were lounging on a blanket at twilight in Hyde Park, sipping wine and lazily quizzing each other. He had an infectious sense of humor and a casual air of confidence which I found very attractive. Not to mention, I couldn't stop looking at him. So far our date had gone very well, I thought. We had driven to a cafe close to the park and gotten some takeaway, then walking over to a deserted patch of lawn. Fortunately the place wasn't crowded and we had quite a bit of land to ourselves. I thought Monday night dates were totally underrated. This was heaven._

_Suddenly I remembered a comment he had made to James the previous evening._

"_Oh yeah...so what was the deal you made with your friend yesterday?"_

_He thought for a moment, then said, "Hmm...oh, I just told James I thought you were exceedingly pretty and he dared me to ask you out. So I did. Nothing more." He gave me a playful grin, then allowed, "Well, he _did _think I would chicken out. Proved him wrong, though!" _

_We continued talking for what seemed like an age, well into darkness, then finally he asked me if I was ready to go. Reluctantly I said yes, and we returned to his motorbike. He had parked in a no-parking zone, but curiously, nothing had happened to the bike. He seemed to know it wouldn't be bothered._

_We went back to my flat on his motorcycle, which meant I was able to put my hands on him for the second time. Wrapped tightly around him, more like. I had never been on a motorbike before and had been terrified, despite his reassurances that no harm would come to me with him. When we arrived, I invited him inside, and asked if he cared for tea. The hour was late, though, and he said he must leave soon. _

"_I had a wonderful time," he said, looking intently at me. "Think you could stand to do it again?"_

"_Absolutely," I replied, and smiled. "I really enjoyed being with you. I'd love to go out again."_

"_Alright if I give you a chaste goodnight kiss?"_

Unchaste would be fine, too, _I thought, but replied playfully, "You may."_

_Cupping my face in his hands, he drew closer to me and brushed his lips to mine. I detected the faint scent of his cologne as the kiss grew deeper. I threaded my fingers through his silky dark hair and pressed myself against him. Then he put his arms around me, bringing me even closer as we continued to kiss still more passionately. After a time we reluctantly broke apart, breathless. We didn't take our eyes off each other. _

_Finally, he said ruefully, "Well, guess I'd better go. Thank you for a lovely evening." And with one more soft kiss to my lips, he headed for the door, then turned and said, "How would Friday night be, say, Six-ish?"_

_"Perfect," I answered. He smiled sweetly at me and said, "I'll pick you up, then. Goodnight," then left. My lips were still tingling from that exquisite snog as I heard the sound of his motorbike starting up, then the sound faded as he drove off._

_The next morning I awoke slowly and langorously, touching my finger to my lips where his mouth had been. I thought about Sirius and what I knew of him so far. I could fall hard for him. Ah well, no _could _about it. A few more dates like this and I would be done for. I swung my legs off the bed and got up to make coffee. The sad thing was I knew my time in England was limited, and right this minute the thought of returning to America was very unpleasant. Oh well...plenty of time to worry about that later. _

_Then I heard a noise at the door. I padded over to it and looked through the peephole...nobody there. I turned back around, returning to the kitchen, when I heard it again; a kind of scratching. Going back to the door, I unlocked it. When I opened it, I looked upon one of the oddest things I had ever seen. A small brown owl sat there in front of the door holding a red rose in its beak. A note was attached. It looked up at me, unblinking, and set it down on the ground. Then it flew off. I picked the rose up, confused, and took apart the note. _

You are exceedingly pretty, Miss Ketron, and I like you. To paraphrase your favorite group, you are going to be in my dreams tonight. (Ten points if you can tell me which song that is from)

Sirius

_As I leaned against the door frame, reading it, I was suddenly pinched..._hard_._

"Ouch! Jesus...what the...?"

"Earth to Mum! I've been trying to get your attention for, like, _forever! _You alright?"

Startled to have my daydream interrupted, I said, "Um, yeah, just thinking about, you know, who sent you that post." I began working on our meal again as he chattered on excitedly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Aggravated by James' constant pestering about the letter: _Did I think Dumbledore would really show up? Did I think he should buy an owl? Did this have anything to do with Daddy?, _I finally dispatched him to his room with instructions to write all his questions down so I could concentrate on dinner. I was in a very anxious state, with alternating glimmers of hope that this person might be able to tell me what happened to Sirius, and depression that I was in for a rude awakening when seven o'clock arrived with no visitor.

FInally dinner was ready and I called James back downstairs. He came bounding down the steps and slid into his chair at the table. Surprisingly he was silent for much of the meal, scarfing down his food, which was a good thing, because I was so lost in thought that I barely noticed his presence. I wasn't remotely hungry, and I mostly fiddled with my fork on the plate.

"Can I have that if you're not going to eat it?"

I looked up to see James with fork in mid-air, hovering over my chicken. His plate was entirely empty already.

"James, your grandfather would say you eat like a government mule," I observed for the umpteenth time as I let him spear the chicken breast with his fork and take it.

"Mum, how come you never talk to your parents?"

He already knew the story, or as much of it as I was prepared to tell him at this point, but I humored him and said, "Because there are several things we don't agree on."

He spooned more potatoes on his plate. "But why don't you ever call them? Maybe they've changed their minds."

I wished it were that simple. The problems with my parents were likely to be permanent, however. Even if the accursed knack I had for making things happen seemingly just by thinking about them were to disappear, the dealbreaker was when my grandmother had left me a reasonable inheritance, which I was due to receive the remainder of when I turned 35. Thus far I had been left with a trust fund which left me fairly comfortable and able to be a stay-at-home mother teaching piano lessons as long as I was halfway responsible about spending, which I had been. My parents, on the other hand, saw very little cash from my grandmother, who made it obvious in her will that she disapproved of the way they had treated their only daughter. Her bequest to me was the end of my relationship with them.

"Well, darling, some things can never be repaired, unfortunately. That's all I can really tell you about it."

He left it at that, and we finished up supper in silence.

Finally I looked over at the clock, which I had been avoiding until now, and noticed it was 6:55 pm. Five minutes. I mentally cursed the anonymous jerk who had stirred up this turmoil in me all over again, making me wait for nothing.

Then, at 7 o'clock on the dot, I heard the heavy thud of the doorknocker. James and I looked at each other with trepidation, and I rose to go answer the door. He bobbed along in my wake.

When I opened it, I stood in amazement at the person who stood there. He could have been Merlin himself, so much did he resemble pictures of the mythical wizard. Tall and slender with long flowing white hair and beard, the visitor was dressed rather unusually, one could say. He had peculiar half-moon spectacles balanced on the tip of his nose, and was decked out in long flowing dark blue robes with a glittery silver rope-like belt around his waist. The snow white hair was topped with a small pointy hat, just as I would have expected from a wizard. During my inspection of him, he wore a grandfatherly smile on his face, and I already had an irrational feeling that this was someone I could trust completely.

"Mrs. Black?" he inquired politely, eyebrows raised. I felt foolish for staring, but I imagined he got that a lot.

"Yes." I finally found my voice. I realized I had been staring with my mouth agape. "P-professor Dumbledore, are you?" He nodded. "Please come in."

He followed me in, to where James was standing timidly, looking as incredulous as I just had.

"James? This is Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore gave James a broad grin, and said, "James Sirius Black, it is so nice to meet you," and extended his hand to shake my son's.

I thought I was going to have to elbow James to stop staring and move, but he finally did so on his own and gave Dumbledore a brief handshake before stepping back almost behind me.

"Um, nice to meet you...sir." Sir? Never heard James use that term before. I was glad he had a few manners, anyway.

"Won't you sit down?" I gestured to the sofa, and he obliged.

"Would you like something to drink?" I inquired.

"Yes, that would be nice," he answered politely and chatted with James as I went into the kitchen.

After I brought in some tea for him, I sat there a moment, not knowing how to get the conversation flowing, as there were so many things I wanted to say. Then James beat me to it.

"I have a long list of questions, Professor! Shall I get them?"

Dumbledore smiled at him. "Certainly."

James was up the stairs like a shot. I looked over at Dumbledore and wondered if I should mention Sirius. Apparently, the professor was something of a mind reader, for he looked at me and said, "You are Sirius Black's...wife? I did not know he was ever married."

I nodded. "Yes," I added unnecessarily. I hated to admit I had no clue where my husband had disappeared, but decided the blunt approach was best. "He's been gone twelve years now. Nobody has been able to help me find him. Do you have any idea what happened to him?"

He said gently, "Oh, yes. For the last twelve years, he has been incarcerated at Azkaban prizon off the coast of northeast England."

To hear this news put so directly caught me off guard, so used I was to excuses and people who claimed to know nothing about him.

"Azkaban? I've contacted every prison in Britain multiple times and I've never heard of that one."

He said, "Ah, but you wouldn't, because you were communicating with muggle prisons and they, like you, have never heard of Azkaban. It is a prison for wizards, not non-magical people, which we call Muggles." The thought apparently occurred to him that I might not have heard the term.

I had, though, with a tiny flashback to Sirius laying in bed with me, cupping my face and kissing me, saying that I was his beautiful muggle wife. Then sadly it vanished and I came back to the present.

Before I could ask any more, James returned with his list of questions and practically jumped in the chair next to us. Any more questions I had would have to wait. I got the impression that Dumbledore was keen to talk to me more about the subject, too.

As James eagerly went through his list, Dumbledore patiently answered each question. This whole wizard business was starting to remind me of the scene in "The Wizard of Oz" where everything was suddenly thrust from black and white into every color imaginable. I could not really believe what I was hearing. Could it be that the things I could do had an explanation for them after all? I had never thought of myself in the same league as Sirius, thinking I was reduced to simple parlor tricks (which had infuriated and frightened my parents when I was a child) while he, a very skilled wizard, could do practically anything he wanted. Now just how he managed to learn his talents became more clear with everything Dumbledore said. Hogwarts sounded like an amazing place.

"Professor, so this is where Sirius went to school? He only mentioned it as a Scottish boarding school to me. Though after hearing the name of it, I vaguely remember thinking that naming a school after warts on a hog was a bit weird." I added with a sidelong grin. James paid rapt attention, realizing he hadn't thought to write this question down.

"Oh yes. Most children with magical abilities go there...and it's named for a type of flower, by the way," Dumbledore replied, smiling. "Your husband was an extremely clever student, one of the brightest I've known. But did he not tell you any of this?"

I tried to remember the things Sirius had told me before his disappearance. For all we were madly in love with each other, it seemed that we had still kept some secrets from each other. I was sure he had no idea I possessed any magical qualities, and it wasn't until just before our wedding that he confessed to being a wizard to me. But some topics we had never talked much about, school being one of them, unless you counted all the trouble he and James Potter had gotten into while there. I had heard plenty about that.

"Well, he talked mostly about him and his friends, not academics," I replied.

James piped up, "Tell us more about Dad!" I didn't say anything, but couldn't wait to hear more about him after all this time.

Dumbledore thought for a moment, then said, "Well, as I said, he was a very bright student, though rather prone to causing mischief. He was friends with another boy, James Potter. They were inseparable."

At this, James said, "The one I'm named for, right?" I nodded and said, "Yes."

The professor looked speculatively at me, and said, "So you were acquainted with James?"

"Oh yes," I answered. "I was very fond of him and Lily. I remember holding Harry when he was a baby." I smiled quickly, then was reminded of another sobering thought. "I don't know what ever happened to Harry either. He was our godson. I used to mail him birthday and Christmas cards but knew he'd never get them. I had no address to send them to so I just threw them in the mail with only his name on them. No telling where they wound up," I said and laughed bitterly. I didn't mention that I did the same thing for Sirius, writing him rambling love letters over the years and mailing them to no address, knowing he would never see them.

"Harry is fine. He attends Hogwarts now and will be starting his third year shortly. He was raised by his aunt and uncle after the tragedy with his parents."

I felt a sense of relief for Harry's sake, but ached to speak more to this man about my husband. I really didn't want to do it in front of James, though, so I let him continue asking questions about the school. I wasn't too sure of this place, all things considered. I had never been sent off to school myself and the thought of being apart from my child for that length of time frankly scared me to no end. There was silence for a minute.

I steered the subject back to Hogwarts. "Well, I'd really like to visit this place for myself before I decide what James is going to do," I said finally, giving Dumbledore a look that dared him to have a problem with that.

"Certainly. That's not uncommon at all," he said, smiling at me. "In fact, I would really like for you to see it yourself."

Finally James had exhausted his list of questions, and I sent him off his room so I could talk privately with Dumbledore. He went protesting, but finally shut his bedroom door, glaring at me as he did it. I went back downstairs where Dumbledore sat waiting patiently. I sat down and looked at him.

"What can you tell me about Sirius?"

He was obviously expecting the question. "Well, as I said earlier, he has been in Azkaban prison these past twelve years-"

"Yes, I know!" I interrupted. "How is he doing, though? Is he...okay?"

He studied me thoughtfully before answering. "There are a few things I need to tell you about that. First of all, I do not know Sirius' condition firsthand. I have had no communication with him since he was taken there. What I can tell you is that, unfortunately, nearly all prisoners do not...fare so well."

"What?! What does _that_ mean?" I was growing more upset by the minute.

He said slowly, "Let me finish. Azkaban is guarded by...beings known as dementors. They are not human. They feed off positive emotions and happiness. They tend to pounce on any feeling they detect as such and...suck it out of a person. Therefore, most prisoners have only feelings of hopelessness, misery, despair. They tend to go mad and withdraw inside themselves within weeks." He looked at me for my reaction. I buried my face in my hands and sighed deeply. "Go on."

"However," he continued, "I have reason to believe Sirius has done better than most prisoners."

I looked up with a twinge of hope. "How's that?"

"He has escaped from prison. His whereabouts are a complete mystery."


	4. On the Move

Day after day, Sirius traveled to London, stopping only when necessary. He was determined to find his wife under any circumstances but knew by now the whole country was likely to be looking for him. He had been forced to leave most of her letters behind, hidden for now, at least until he was able to find a more suitable method of transporting them. He had made sure to read all of them first, though. Some of them were so beautiful and poetic that he felt he couldn't stand another minute away from her, but it became obvious when he began to read them all that she was determined to write to him no matter what her mood was.

_1 March 1983_

_Dear Sirius,_

_I should apologize for my last letter. I was obviously at my wits' end with James and took it out on you. It's one time I am thankful you will never read any of these. Anyway, James' rash miraculously disappeared by yesterday morning. It was as if it had never happened...I have no idea what it was, but am glad it's gone._

_Well, I should go to bed. I love you and miss you and once again, I am sorry for what I said._

_Yours,_

_Laura_

He read the note again, wondering what had precipitated this apology. After reading through one or two more, though, he got his answer.

_27 February 1983 20:00_

_Sirius_,

_I am writing this to let you know all about my parenting experiences today. You are an equal parent whether you know it or not, and therefore you get to hear exactly how shitty my day has been. James woke up with the most disgusting and mysterious case of hives I have ever seen. I have no idea how he got them. They covered his entire body and he has been screaming his head off all day and itching like crazy. _NOTHING_ I put on them is working. He would not stop crying at the top of his lungs. It would give me great pleasure at this point if you could hear this auditory masterpiece yourself nonstop for even a few hours. Just where the hell are you, anyway? Why did you leave me- you rotten son of a bitch! You have no idea how fucking exhausting it is being a single parent. If I _ever_ find you I will wring your lousy effing neck myself. Prison would be a nice change for me from the horrible little person in the next room who will not SHUT THE EFF UP. Hope you have a nice life, you POS..._

The letter wasn't signed. He read it several times, at first uncomfortable at reading her diatribe, then growing more incensed about the damage Peter Pettigrew had wrought on their lives, that cowardly little shit. Everything he had read thus far mentioned only facts regarding James' growth and anecdotes about things he had said and done. Now he had a clearer picture of how difficult it must have been for his wife to raise a child on her own.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After several days' travel and relatively few mishaps, including almost getting his tail run over by an elderly muggle on a bicycle and being swatted with a newspaper while rifling through a trash can, Padfoot finally made it to the house he and Laura had shared several years ago. His heart was pounding as he trod up the sidewalk, nosing around the place for any signs of life. Unfortunately, it appeared to be abandoned, though at least not in bad shape. He stood up on his hind legs, looking in a window, and noticed that most of the furniture was gone, other than a few odd pieces here and there. His heart sank as he wondered where she and James could have gone, and how long it had been since she had vacated the place. He found a shady patch of grass in the yard and plopped down, dejected, to rest for a few minutes. A memory came to him eventually as he lay there, of him and James Potter, sitting outside on the front steps one evening several years before. It was late fall and a chill was in the air.

_"I want to marry her." Sirius said it casually, but looked sideways at James to gauge his reaction. James remained expressionless as he took a sip of beer. He sat, seemingly lost in thought. They could hear Laura and Lily chattering inside with the occasional clanging of dishes as they cleaned up the remains of dinner._

_"Well, Padfoot..." James appeared to be at a loss for words, then found his stride. "You _really _want to marry a muggle, mate? I mean -" he hastily added, "Not that I don't like her. She's great, and she obviously makes you happy. But with things the way they are ... "_

_"God, James, I thought you would understand! It shouldn't matter if she's a muggle or not. Right?"_

_James grinned at this, and then, sobering, said, "What about us wizards? Does she know about all of us? Does she know about _you?"

"_Well, no, not yet, but -" Sirius began._

"_You haven't told her you're a wizard?" James interrupted, eyebrows raised._

"_I'm going to, very soon. Just haven't had a good opportunity yet."_

_"Well," James said, "We're going _crazy_ not being able to use magic around her. So hurry up!" He paused. "Are you going to tell her about the dog?"_

_Sirius was silent for a minute. "No. Don't see any sense in it. I don't plan on being a dog around her; much more fun staying a man." He smiled inwardly at a particular memory of the two of them in bed._

_"Well anyway," James continued, "I'm certainly not going to try and talk you out of it. I just want you to be happy. _But, _"he emphasized, "you need to make sure she knows all the dangers before she takes the plunge with you. What we're doing isn't exactly ... safe, you know." There was a hint of irony in his voice._

_Sirius shrugged. "I can protect her. I thought we'd marry before a muggle, not involve any wizards. And I haven't decided who else is going to know ... in the Order, that is."_

_James smiled at his friend. "Have you actually _asked_ her yet?"_

"_No, but I think she'll say yes," Sirius said confidently. She's pretty amazing," he couldn't help adding. James rolled his eyes._

"_Ahhh, young love," he said pompously. "I have it from certain people-" he tilted his head toward the distant noise in the house, "that she thinks you're pretty amazing, too, mate."_

_"So _if _she says yes ..." Sirius looked at James, "you'll be my best man, right?"_

_James returned his gaze. "You know I would."_

An engine revved one street over, bringing Padfoot back to the present. He sat on his haunches, thinking about what to do next. Finally, he decided it was time to head to Surrey, where he knew Harry lived in the summer. He wanted to get a glimpse of his godson before he left for school. Then he would continue the search for his wife. He took one last glimpse of his old house and padded down the street, not looking back.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_15 August 1993_

_Sirius,_

_Another letter from me going out into the ether, but I had to share this. I think you would be pleased to know that James has been accepted to Hogwarts...your alma mater, so I hear. We received a visit from Prof. Dumbledore, whom I am sure you remember. He was very gracious and kind; surprised to hear you and I were married, though. He promised not to make that information public...mainly because of James, who doesn't need that kind of attention from other students. We had lots of questions for him, which he patiently answered. And finally, thank God, I learned what happened to you twelve years ago. It felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from my heart. At least until I found out you escaped. Now I'm all worried about you again. Dumbledore seems to think you made it to land alright...apparently this godawful Azkaban place is way out to sea. What made you finally escape after twelve years? Why didn't you try before now? He says you are looking for Harry Potter. Have you really changed that much the last twelve years, that you would be willing to hurt him?? There must be another explanation. He also told me how you were responsible for James and Lily's deaths, and I almost laughed out loud. How anyone who knew you could ever think you would hurt James or his family is ludicrous. I think he got the message that I don't believe any of that shit, especially about you working for that Voldemort. And he probably now thinks I'm crazy, or in major denial, but I don't care. I'm used to it._

_So, that's one piece of news, about James. The other is that I am moving to Hogsmeade. The thought of him going away from me to school is terrifying. I would never deny him the opportunity to realize his potential as a wizard, though. And he certainly has that. But the real reason I'm moving there is to be taught by Dumbledore and his minions (just kidding - I meant teachers, of course). You may remember I never talked to my parents? This is why. Apparently I am a witch. Yes, I'm serious. I had the chance to finally ask questions about things I thought were wrong with me my whole life. Mom and Dad tried their best to beat it out of me, literally and figuratively, as a kid. 'It' being the fact that I could move things without touching them, break glass when I was angry, you get the picture. When we met and I fell in love with you (a process which took approximately two hours) I knew I could never bear to see you look at me the way they did, so I promised myself I would stop doing it forever, because you were worth a whole lot more to me than that stuff was. I guess I scared the shit out of my parents, looking back. But that's no excuse for the things they did. Then you told me you were a wizard, and showed me what you could do. I won't lie...I was so envious of you and your friends and never felt that I had the same ability. The thought never occurred to me that I could be one too. But you were so beautiful and sweet about it; it didn't bother me for long. Anyway, what I thought was wrong with me was (according to Dumbledore) what happens to untrained witches and wizards, and a place like Hogwarts could teach me to actually learn to do magic properly. At least I hope. I still can't believe I could ever really be useful with this. So, James and I both took a trip w/Dumbledore to Diagon Alley, which I'm sure you are familiar with. I now have a wand in hand, as does James. I also bought a whole library of books on spells and stuff. And while I was there, I got you a present. I hope and pray I will see you someday soon and at least find out how you are doing, and if all goes well, I will give it to you._

_Fortunately I don't have to humiliate myself in front of a bunch of eleven year old kids, though! Dumbledore offered to tutor me himself, along with some of the other teachers. I really don't know how to repay him for this...he wouldn't take money for it. Maybe he wants piano lessons..ha._

_Well, I must go and finish working out the details of this move. Apparently wizard money is much different, so I will have to transfer some cash. I know you already have a vault at Gringotts, right? So I hope this is okay for me to use that account. Apparently it's confidential and the goblins there don't give a flying crap about wizards, other than taking their money, so hopefully I won't get any flack about being your wife..no offence, darling. Dumbledore has graciously offered to help with that and to have all our stuff moved to the house I will be renting, so I don't have much time to get it all ready. This is all taking place next week. I can't wait to see how he accomplishes this._

_Poor James doesn't know what to think about his mum living so close to him. He's already worried that the other kids will make fun of him. We have already agreed that he will pretend he doesn't know me if we see each other in the hallway at Hogwarts (sigh). The boy's growing up._

_As always, I pray for you daily and hope you are safe. I love you._

_Laura_

Sirius folded the letter and carefully placed it back in its envelope. _Hogsmeade._

He had at last managed to catch sight of Harry close to his home in Little Whinging. Curiously, the boy had boarded the Knight Bus with his trunk, for all intents and purposes headed to school earlier than usual. Upon seeing him and subsequently receiving this wonderful letter via a large brown owl, he knew it was time to go north to find his wife. And Pettigrew.

Edited to correct a timeline error 9/17/08


	5. Hogsmeade, finally

Padfoot loped down the High Street in Hogsmeade on a mission, surveying each building left and right. Eventually he slowed and turned down a short lane to try his luck there. His pace was steady until he saw something that forced him to come to a screeching halt. If he were a person at this point, he would have laughed, but from the dog it came out as a cheerful yip. Obviously his wife wasn't concerned with blending in with the locals, for out in front of a modest cottage sat a flashy black late model Corvette, pulled up on the sidewalk. _It has to be, _he thought joyfully as he nosed around the car, wishing for a scent that might identify it as hers.

After walking around the boundary of the entire house and yard, he still couldn't tell if she might be at home right now. He didn't want to arouse any suspicion from her, though, so he decided to keep a close eye on the house from a short distance away. Then when the opportunity presented itself, he planned to take advantage of it.

Luckily he didn't have to wait long. After laying nose between paws for twenty minutes or so, he saw a slender woman with dark hair turn the corner onto the small side street. A dark-haired boy was walking with her and both were carrying what appeared to be groceries. They seemed to be in the midst of an argument, and as Padfoot sat up and watched them closely, he heard the boy say, "But _all _the students ride the Hogwarts Express! They'll think I'm a freaky mummy's boy if I don't do it, too!"

"James, we were just _in _London!" the woman snapped. "The last thing I feel like doing is going back, just so you can just ride right back up here!" She sounded exasperated, and Padfoot wondered if this was a topic that had been revisited more than once.

The pair grew closer, puffing heavily with the weight of their loads until they reached the gate in front of their house. Now James was angry and silent, though he dropped his bags and opened the gate for his mother to pass through. Padfoot hoped this wasn't a bad time to make his move, seeing as how they were both rather grouchy at the moment. But he didn't want the chance to pass him by, so he rose suddenly and loped over to them with a cheerful bark and his best doggie grin, tongue lolling.

The woman glanced over at him and said in a distracted tone, "Nice doggie," then continued up the walk to the front door, not paying him a bit more notice. Padfoot squeezed in through the gate just before it closed and yipped again, pleadingly. As she entered the house, the boy, James, put his bags down again and gave him a nice pat on the head, as Padfoot nosed under his hand at the same time. He tried his pitiful look, which had melted the heart of more than one elderly housewife since his escape. Apparently it worked, for James continued to rub between the dog's ears, and gave Padfoot his first close look at the son he had never seen in person.

The boy had Sirius' dark wavy hair and grey eyes, though the shape of them resembled Laura's. He also had a friendly smile, which he flashed at the dog, who in turn licked his hand in grateful acknowledgment.

Suddenly Laura came back to the door. Evidently her mood hadn't improved any, and she said impatiently, "James! That food needs to go in the fridge, honey. Come on!"

James rolled his eyes and muttered something Padfoot couldn't hear, but gave the dog a final pat and stood up, reaching for the bags. "Gotta go, mate," he said, then walked toward the open door. The dog wasn't about to let this opportunity get past him, so he nudged his way through the door before James could close it, and let himself in. James turned and, noticing the dog, said softly, "Hey! You need to get out before Mum sees you."

He walked quickly back to the front door, holding it open. "Go on, then, out!" Padfoot didn't budge.

James deposited the bags in the kitchen, then returned and approached him. He hoped to grab him by the ruff of his neck and physically remove him, but the dog stubbornly dug in his heels. His son quickly realized he wasn't going to be able to accomplish that goal and shrugged, closing the front door back and going into the next room where his mother was. He had more important things to worry about presently.

As she fixed dinner, the dog could hear their conversation gradually turn back to school as James tried again. "Mum, all the other kids will have made friends on the train up here. I won't know anybody! I'll look like an _idiot._"

"So you can show up at the platform just as the train comes in...nobody will know you weren't on it. They'll assume you were in a different compartment. Now help me put the groceries up." She tried to steer the subject away from the accursed train, but he would have none of it.

"You've got to be _kidding. _You're the one who told me Dad met his best friend on the train coming up here!"

She laughed. "So? James, you will be in school with these kids for _seven _years, for pete's sake! I don't think you are going to miss out on that much by not taking a train."

As she stood on her tiptoes in front of the cabinet to put up a box of cereal, she noticed something move in the corner of her eye in the front room.

"James Sirius Black, what is that flea-bitten bear of a dog doing in this house?" she demanded irritably.

"He followed me in and wouldn't leave!" James said indignantly as he peered back around the corner at the dog, now wagging his tail frantically.

Laura marched into the front room and opened the door. "OUT!" she commanded. Padfoot pretended not to understand, but decided now was the time for Plan B. He held a paw up as though it was injured, and limped slowly over to her, throwing in a few whimpers for good measure. She stared at him, feeling as though she was being played, but by now was too tired to care. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Alright, you stay..._for now_!" She threw this line menacingly over her shoulder as she walked back into the kitchen. Meanwhile, James, seeing the dog's good fortune, had launched back into his tirade of the injustices he was suffering at his mother's hands.

She stood there, listening wearily, then said, "And just how am I supposed to get back up here? Seeing as how you don't want to be associated with me?"

James munched on a crisp as he thought, then said, "Stay in London a few extra days! You could shop, then take a train back up!"

She didn't want to admit it, but the thought of going back to Diagon Alley held a certain appeal. She hadn't gotten to spend much time there when they had gone with Dumbledore, and even though Hogsmeade had a similar magical charm and sold many of the same things, there was something special about the place in London. She could wander the streets, picturing her husband as a boy and a young man hanging out there. It would also be a good time to pick up the gift she had ordered Sirius, which should be ready by now. She had first directed the shopkeeper to mail it to her via owl, but now decided she would rather bring it back herself.

"Alright," she conceded. "But listen -" James whooped with pleasure. "This is the _only _time we will do this. Do not ask me again! Understand?"

He nodded his head wildly, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks, Mum!" He kissed her on the cheek and, remembering the dog, went back in the front room where he remained, laying low. James gave the dog a huge pat on the head, then ran to his bedroom to pack his things.

Padfoot walked slowly into the kitchen, where his wife finished up dinner. She looked forlorn as she took plates out and appeared deep in thought. Eventually she realized she was being watched, and turned toward the giant dog. Saying nothing, she looked at him curiously as he stared right back, getting his first close look at her in twelve years. She was still very pretty, with a few laugh lines around her eyes now and shorter hair, which was still dark but with golden highlights threading through it.

"Who do you belong to?" she asked as she observed him. He padded over to her and nudged her hand with his nose, urging her to pet him. He noticed that she still wore the wedding ring he had given her years before. She reluctantly rubbed his head between the ears, which felt like heaven to him. He longed to transform into a man and take her in his arms. Plenty of time to figure that one out, though. For now, he glanced at the hot food, salivating. He was very hungry, which she noticed.

"It's meatloaf. Hope that's alright." She thought a minute, then took a bowl out and, filling it with water, placed it on the floor. He immediately took great gulps of it, finishing it quickly, then looked up at her, water dripping from his mouth.

"Okay," Laura laughed. She took the bowl back and filled it up again for him, then grabbed a plate and, using a spanner to slide the meatloaf on it, sat it next to the water.

"Careful, it's hot!" He didn't care, but practically swallowed it whole. "We have to eat that, too. Honestly, you're as bad as James!" But she gave him another piece, then prepared some for herself and their son.

"James ... come and eat!" she called.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of activity with James preparing his things and growing more and more excited about the start of school. Padfoot was still allowed to be in the house, contrary to Laura's original statement. He hoped she would forget about her threat to make him leave and decide to keep him on as a pet, which suited him fine. He wondered what would happen to him during the trip to London, but he soon got his answer.

"You're taking the dog?" James was shocked. He had his trunk loaded to the brim and was waiting on his mother's last minute check through the house before they left.

"Sure ... why not?" his mother responded amiably from the next room. Padfoot sat wagging his tail furiously. He had to resist the urge to follow her, get up on his hind legs and lick her face. "I'd like the company after you're gone. And I hate to leave him here with no food. I'm not sure the neighbors will feed him." Their neighbors were polite enough, but she wasn't sure if they were really willing to accept her, as of yet. The presence of the black muggle sportscar was an object of intense scrutiny among the people of Hogsmeade, the majority of whom didn't bother with transportation other than brooms. Dumbledore had made a polite suggestion that Laura leave it in storage, but she had stubbornly insisted on bringing it when they had moved. And as they had no driveway, it had been deposited on the sidewalk.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The passage to London on the train was uneventful. Laura read much of the way, having taken along a few books on basic spells and "Hogwarts - A History" which she found interesting and encouraged James to read. He didn't seem to care about it, though, but kept pulling his wand out and swinging it around.

"Put that away!" she warned him, hissing. "You don't want to zap somebody, do you?" Padfoot gave his son a huge doggy grin, and licked his hand approvingly. But James obeyed his mother reluctantly and put the wand up, digging out a textbook and leafing idly through it instead.

Finally they arrived in London and took a cab back to the house they had recently vacated. Laura unlocked the door and opened it, taking in the familiar scent of the place, more pronounced since she had been away for a short time. James and Padfoot followed her in, the dog immediately poking around, surveying the entire place.

After dropping their bags and James' trunk, Laura sat heavily on the floor. She was tired after traveling most of the day, and told James she wanted nothing more than to rest and have a drink of some form of alcohol. She hadn't emptied the house out completely, and managed to find a few bottles of wine which she promptly stuck in the fridge. Dinner that evening was curry takeaway and after that, watching a few television shows. The mood was subdued; even James' excitement at going to Hogwarts in two days was dampened slightly at the thought of leaving his mother behind. That night, Padfoot slept next to his wife, though not in the form he would have liked.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

They took one more trip to Diagon Alley before James headed to Hogwarts. The dog was fortunate enough to travel with them, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He hadn't been to wizarding London in a long time, and he was anxious to get a glimpse of some of his old haunts. Laura mostly window shopped but bought a few things she had missed before. She went into Madame Malkin's to trawl around and came out with a set of deep purple velvet robes, which she confessed to James that she had no idea where to wear them, but as they were self-cleaning, self-ironing and slenderizing, they were right up her alley. James couldn't resist looking into Gambol and Japes joke shop but after his mother nixed the majority of items he chose, he glumly bought only a deck of cards that shuffled itself. Their last stop was Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for a quick snack, sitting outside since the dog wasn't allowed in.

Padfoot sat content, eating ice cream with his wife and son, when he heard his wife draw a breath in shock and curse, exclaiming "James!" But she wasn't looking at their son. His eyes followed her gaze and, surprised, he emitted a growl of recognition at the person standing a few shops over.


	6. Then, London Again

We had been wandering around Diagon Alley most of the morning, mostly window-shopping with a few exceptions. The dog had come with us and behaved wonderfully, I was relieved to know. I had been afraid he might run off at the first opportunity, but he stuck with us faithfully, almost as if guarding the two of us. Finally, we settled at a table outside Fortescue's for a dish of ice cream; even the dog had a dish to himself. I was growing more fond of him by the day, enjoying his affectionate and protective nature. James sat next to me, idly licking his spoon dry and lost in thought. I glanced offhand down the street teeming with people and saw something I never expected to behold - a familiar face. At first, though, I couldn't figure out where I had seen him. As I tried to work this out, he looked in my direction and stopped cold. I realized he must recognize me, too.

"Holy shit...James!" I said involuntarily. My James looked quizzically at me.

"What'd I do?" he asked.

"Not you! Him..." I said, now averting my gaze. I didn't want to be thought rude. But the boy kept staring in alarm at me. Then I realized he wasn't looking at me at all, but the great black dog who sat with us. The dog lazily turned his head in the boy's direction and, upon spying him, growled softly.

I shushed the dog and looked back at James' Potter's double, only to find he had disappeared.

"Stay here," I directed James and the dog, and rose to find the boy I'd just seen. It dawned on me that Harry would be about that age, and I was curious to get a closer look and possibly introduce myself, at least as a friend of his parents. It had to be him. I searched the vicinity of where I had seen him last, but couldn't find a trace of him. Finally I gave up and returned to my seat.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" James wanted to know.

"Saw someone familiar. And you shouldn't talk like that," I scolded him absently.

"Hello! You just said 'shit'!" he reminded me.

I ignored this and continued eating my ice cream, thinking of another time I had seen Harry, extremely up close and personal.

_"So! It's really quite easy ... well, maybe a bit smelly and, uh, slimy, but nothing you can't handle. Should be good practice for you." Lily smiled triumphantly at the two hapless people standing before her, namely me and Sirius, still relative newlyweds, both of us horrified at the prospect of changing our first dirty nappy. She set the fragrant object in question aside. Beneath us lay Harry, four months old and sucking peacefully on his dummy, oblivious to our discomfort._

_"Oh, come on, you two, we'll only be gone a few hours! Stop looking like that." She rolled her eyes at our collective expressions, which probably resembled a pair of deer in headlights. "At least say something!"_

_"Is there a way to do this with a wand?" Sirius desperately wanted to know. "I'd rather not ... touch it, if you don't mind." He couldn't help a shudder of distaste. I snickered at his expression and Lily ignored this comment._

_"Oh, go and have a good time," I said, finally grinning. "We'll be alright!" Sirius looked none too sure of this, but he managed to nod reluctantly in agreement just as James walked in the door to collect his wife._

_"Ready, darling? We should go before they chicken out, don't you think?" He smirked at Sirius knowingly. "Sirius, you remember how to contact us if you need anything?"_

_Sirius nodded and said faintly, "Go have fun. Don't worry about us. And be careful apparating!" he called out after them. They didn't need telling twice, but each gave baby Harry a quick kiss and were out the door like a shot._

_We looked at each other helplessly, then at the baby. "She's right. It'll be good practice," I said with a sidelong glance at my husband._

_"Not what I had in mind to practice," he said in an undertone, as though Harry might hear us. "I'd rather practice _making_ a baby, personally."_

_"Not in front of Harry!" I whispered in a mock scandalized voice._

_"Absolutely not," he agreed. "The guest bedroom would be much more comfortable than the floor in the nursery."_

_"_Men_. Is that all you ever think about?" I asked sardonically._

_"Nah ... we think about blow jobs sometimes as well," he answered with a leer._

"_Don't think I hadn't noticed. Anyway, we can't be making love while we're watching a baby. So might as well drop the subject or we'll both be really frustrated for the next...um, how long did she say they'd be?" I asked, already rather frustrated._

"_A few hours. And if it's one minute over two hours, I'll be extremely upset." He reached a hand around to cup my breast. I moved it away._

"_What'd I just say? Knock it off, Black! We have to be responsible parent-like people for two effing hours."_

_"Just touching my wife, darling. I'm entitled," he said silkily and moved behind me, pulling me to him. I could feel exactly how frustrated he was as well, and gave up resisting, but made a last ditch effort to change the subject._

_"Do you want one of these?" I asked innocently, gesturing toward Harry._

_"Depends on how the night goes," he teased me, then added, "You know I do. A beautiful daughter who looks just like her mum, _and_ Harry's future wife." He kissed my neck softly and ran his hands over my belly, imagining it pregnant and swollen. _

_We looked over at Harry, who had now fallen asleep. _

_"See? He doesn't want us to be frustrated either, darling. Get down on the floor." Sirius pulled me down with him and lay me gently on the carpet. Between removing my clothes slowly and kissing me, he said softly, "God, I've wanted this all day. What was it our vows said? Oh yeah, I promised to worship you with my body."_

_"They weren't in the standard vows," I whispered as Harry stirred. We froze for a moment until we heard his deep even breathing again. "I told the guy to put them in."_

_He removed the rest of his clothes and lay down with me, kissing me fervently. "You think of everything. Because I _do_ love to worship you with my body."_

_Which we both did, to each other. It was a miracle Harry didn't wake up through all that. When James and Lily returned two hours later, we were reclined on the sofa innocently._

_"So," James shot us a smug grin, "How'd it go?"_

_"Not a poopy nappy in sight," Sirius reported. "You should have a talk with your son about peeing on other peoples' faces, though. That was extremely rude. I've a mind to complain to someone."_

I paused in my daydream, taking a last bite of ice cream. "C'mon guys, let's go home."


	7. James Departs, then

I hadn't told James everything Dumbledore and I had talked about in July. He was aware, naturally, that Sirius had broken out of prison mysteriously and people were searching for him...he couldn't have missed it. All the wanted signs posted around Hogsmeade were a constant and sad reminder of how dangerous everyone believed his father was. I could tell it was disheartening for him to see them, and the questions he had for me increased. Did I really believe his dad was innocent ... when all evidence proved otherwise? The only reply I could give him was "The man I knew couldn't have done those things."

He began to argue with me now, insisting that nobody had come up with a better explanation, so how could it not be true? I didn't know how to explain to him the deep brotherly connection between him and James Potter, and even though yes, in theory a person could hide things like this from his wife, I still obstinately believed I would have known something was wrong.

So on our last evening together in London, before James boarded the Hogwarts Express, the two of us sat in our tiny garden out back.

"James, we need to talk about your father."

He seemed unsurprised by this. "Yeah, I figured."

I wasn't sure where to begin. "Well, um, the thing is, I'm sure you realize that _everybody _believes he's guilty." He didn't say anything, so I continued.

"You know I have my doubts about that. However, I think you shouldn't advertise that you're his son around Hogwarts, and Professor Dumbledore agrees with me. I'm sure the students are very nice, but the crime was so, well, heinous, I'm worried they might take it out on you. Just because you're related to him. And you shouldn't have to deal with that." I paused and checked for his reaction.

So far he wasn't revealing anything.

"Alright," he said finally.

"That's all?" I said, figuring he would have had more to say.

"Mum, why haven't you gotten over him by now?" He looked at me with an expression akin to pity.

"James...I don't know how to answer that. I guess ... I dunno, _someone _has to believe in him. I think I knew him about as well as James and Lily did, and they were closer to him than anyone." Sometimes I was none too sure of this, but I wouldn't admit that to my son.

"Did they really know him after all?" he asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, I think so."

"You haven't seen him in years but you still love him. Why?" I wished he would stop with the questions.

"Because I'm as stubborn as a mule about people I care about. I cling tenaciously to hopeless situations." I repeated with irony a line I'd heard from a therapist in the years since Sirius' disappearance.

"James, this Voldemort-" I paused, trying to word this correctly. "From everything I've heard, he seems to attract two kinds of people. Weak-minded people, and power-hungry people. Your dad was neither. He was exceptionally sweet, funny, clever, and the most loyal man I've ever known. Somebody like Voldemort doesn't have anything Sirius would want." I shrugged. "Does that make sense?" He didn't respond at first.

"Mum ... face it. Your marriage is over." Pretty pathetic, an eleven year old attempting to talk sense into me.

"Spoken like a true expert," I said wryly, though I hated to hear it out loud. "I plan on seeing him face to face before I do anything else about this marriage."

James was silent for a few minutes. He avoided my eyes, then said softly, "I think he did it. Don't worry about me telling anyone." He stood, and said, "Can I go inside now?"

I nodded slowly, defeated and speechless, as he walked in the house without another word. Sirius' only other champion was now lost.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

James words had a greater effect on me than I wanted to admit. There was the fact that I had heard not a peep from him since his escape, which saddened me. I had made sure to forward all our post to a post office box in Dovetown, the closest muggle village to Hogsmeade, and I vowed to check it as frequently as I could. However, to date I had received nothing to tell me if my husband was still alive. Surely, I thought, he would remember our address and do ... _something._

_It's early yet, _the optimistic side of me said, though it was constantly being beaten down. We had been in Hogsmeade only a few weeks, and about a month from when Sirius had escaped. Maybe he was afraid to try and contact me. _Yeah, right, _the logical side of my brain argued back.

As I boarded my own train back north with the dog, my mood had plummeted to a new low. James was now gone, probably thought his mother was crazy, and I was left with nothing. The only bright spot was the thought of learning magic, but even that had lost some appeal. When our train arrived at the Dovetown depot, I debarked hurriedly to check the post office box, but found only a few utility bills and junk mail. We quickly got back on and stopped again at Hogsmeade.

Walking down the lane at dusk, I let the dog in through the gate and we both went inside the house, silent and empty with James' absence. The dog rested his head in my lap, but I ignored him. I sat on the couch, staring at nothing and thinking my son must surely be right. I decided to release my feelings in the usual way. I rose and went into the kitchen, and pulling out a sheet of parchment and an ink pen (I wasn't ready to use something as _archaic_ as a quill just yet), I wrote one last letter to my husband. Actually to whatever postman pulled it out of the nearest letterbox ... and who would be more likely to read it then Sirius would.

_Sirius,_

_I have stuck faithfully by you, like a crazy woman, and I'm tired. I'm tired of thinking up improbable alternate scenarios for that day in 1981...none of which make sense. I'm tired of believing you actually loved me. I'm tired of explaining to my son without any evidence that his dad is innocent when there seems to be way too much evidence that his dad is guilty. All I have to go on is your personality from twelve years ago. Unfortunately that doesn't count for much. Now what? _

_James is too quick by half. Why can't I let go? I don't really have an answer, other than I needed some closure, to put a useless psychological bent on it. I fucking dare you to actually prove to me that you are innocent. But you won't do it, will you? You're not innocent, are you? _

I didn't finish the letter. I crumpled it up and threw it across the room. The dog immediately rose and chased it. Then he put it in his mouth and came back to rest, placing it on the floor at his feet.

Walking into the kitchen, I found the nearest bottle of wine and, for the first time, I used my wand to open it. Well, it was a nice try, anyway. The top of the bottle was neatly slashed off, which was not the effect I was going for, but now I had some alcohol flowing. Pouring myself a glass, I went outside in the chilly evening and sat, intending to finish off the entire bottle. From my vantage point I could see the distant lights of Hogwarts twinkling off in the distance. Tears came to my eyes as I thought of James there, enjoying his first days at the magical new school and making lots of friends. I had no one here, or anywhere.

I sat outside, body growing more numb as the air cooled further, then walked into the kitchen for another glass, hopefully heading for oblivion. I spilled a little as I poured, noticing that the bottle was rapidly becoming empty. _Crikey_. I didn't think I had drunk that much, but I shrugged and took a sip, not really caring.

Then I noticed that the atmosphere in the room had changed. I couldn't really tell at first what the difference was. But I continued to drink, thinking I really should fix something for a late supper, but I wasn't the least bit hungry. The cabinet in front of me had a glass in it, behind which I could see dishes and cups. I saw something else in it, though. My eyes tried to focus on the image reflected off the glass, and I thought wildly that the place was haunted, for it looked like a ghost. Hairs standing up, I slowly turned around, hoping I could reach my wand in time, but knowing I was clueless about a spell to protect myself.

Then as I stood facing him, I realized who I was seeing.

"Are you real?" I whispered incredulously.

Sirius stood there in the doorway staring at me, looking incredibly ragged and thin, and holding my discarded letter and a glass of wine.


	8. A reunion

My first look in twelve years at my husband was a bit of a shock, to say the least. His face was gaunt, cheekbones figuring prominently. His hair was tangled and looked as though he had recently done a hatchet job cutting it. Strangely, though, he was wearing a set of his old shirt and trousers from years ago that I had kept in my closet. They were now ill-fitting and practically hung off his frame. He had cinched a belt tightly around his waist to make his trousers stay up. His beard and mustache were bushy and unkempt. Everything about his appearance revealed the extent of malnutrition he had been suffering. However, his eyes shone brightly as he watched me.

"How did you get in here?" I asked, wondering how he had come to be wearing those clothes. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

He finally found his voice. "The dog," he said hoarsely.

"The dog ... let you in?" I asked, not understanding.

He gave me the slightest smile, and replied gruffly, "_I_ am the dog." He cleared his throat noisily.

I finally looked away, wondering if he had perhaps lost his mind after all, but not sure how to put that to him delicately.

He obviously could tell what I was thinking, so he said, "I am an animagus. I can turn myself into a dog."

I vaguely recalled animagi from one of the textbooks I had flipped through.

"Well, I, um, don't remember that about you. Was this something you learned in ... prison?" I said, still flummoxed that I was seeing him in front of me.

He looked away for a moment, then said, "Since I was a teenager in school at Hogwarts. I guess it never came up," he added uncomfortably.

As I tried to wrap my head around this rather _inadequate _statement, several other things were hitting me all at once. "You mean to tell me," I said slowly, "you've been here over two weeks as a dog but never bothered to let me know? You've been sleeping with me!"

He started to speak, but I interrupted. "_NEVER CAME UP?? _ We were _married_, but it just...never came up?! Anything else I should know?"

He shifted nervously, but looked me in the eye and said, "No, I don't think so. To be fair, though, I never had the need to transform into a dog the whole time I was with you before. I honestly never thought much about it. And I stayed here without telling you because I was trying to protect you. I didn't want our _son-_" he gently emphasized the word "-to get in any trouble or have to keep secrets because of me."

I regarded him scornfully but didn't say anything. He had a good point.

Apparently a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he said, "I don't exactly remember you being a witch, either. You never shared that information with me." He gave me a look that said, _Ha!_

"Probably because I didn't know I was one!" I said defensively. "I never knew for sure until I met Dumbledore and that was when James got accepted into Hogwarts. Anyway, that's not how I planned for you to find out about our son. But I'm glad you got to see him before he left."

"So am I," he said, with a little smile. "Of course, I knew about him already."

"How did you-"

"I got all your letters," he replied before I could finish.

I gave him a blank look. "Letters?"

"Yes, darling, all those hundreds of letters you wrote me with pictures of you and James. I kept them all, of course. Unfortunately I've had to put most of the letters in a safe place, since I couldn't transport them all. Hopefully I'll get this...business over with soon and I can get back there to collect them."

"_But...how _did you get them? I didn't know where to send them!"

He told me all about the owls. "That was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen." He smiled tenderly at me. "The thought that you and our son might still believe in me..that kept me going."

I sobered when he said that, remembering my conversation with James. But I said nothing about it to Sirius.

Finally I realized we were both still standing. "Sirius, let's sit down," I said, gesturing toward the front room.

"More wine?" I asked.

"That would be lovely," he said politely. I went into the kitchen and opened another bottle, pouring some for us both, thinking what I really needed was a shot of tequila. I handed him a full glass and walked into the front room, closing the blinds so we wouldn't be seen by anyone passing by.

"So," I said, "Tell me everything." We both sat down on the couch.

As he relayed the whole story about his arrest and brutal transport to Azkaban, I buried my face in my hands, anguished about the sheer unfairness and horror of it all. He described his incarceration without emotion, how he had not communicated with me for fear I might be accused and, God forbid, sentenced as he had, and how much he had ached for me, but convincing himself that I had probably moved on.

By the time he finished, tears were streaming down my face, thinking about all the wasted years we had spent apart and what Azkaban had done to him. Finally he stopped speaking and took my hand, kissing it softly. I reached out and touched his face with my other hand, feeling the coarse beard and leathery skin. He had deep lines etched in his face from his experiences in prison and afterward and his skin was rather mottled. I didn't care. I continued to caress his face, studying his features at leisure for the first time. He watched me intently, unable to take his eyes off me.

"You were the last person to touch me like that," he said hoarsely. "Do you know, you are even more beautiful now than the first time I saw you." He cupped my face in his hands, and I leaned over to kiss him. He pulled back and I looked at him, hurt.

"I'm sorry...it's...well, I look awful and my teeth must be, um, rather unattractive_, and _I smell."

I smiled at him, shaking my head. "No... you are the most beautiful man I've ever seen," I said, something I had said repeatedly to him years before. Sirius laughed.

"Oh, right!" He looked disbelievingly at me.

"And I do have a wand if you want to use it on your teeth, though I don't have a clue what the spell is," I admitted.

"That's alright. I know it," he said. I got up to retrieve my wand, and brought it back to him, sitting down again.

"Lovely wand. What's it made with?" he asked, studying the intricate design.

"Dragon heartstring and maple," I answered, shrugging. Wand elements didn't mean much to me, but it worked fine.

Sirius pointed the wand at his face while I watched. "_Os tergeo,_" he said softly, and the mottled brown decay on his teeth seemed to melt away.

"I'll have to remember that one for when I'm too lazy to brush my teeth," I remarked, smiling at him.

He grinned. "That's exactly why I learned it to begin with, back in school. James and I would use it whenever we were almost passed out from too much firewhisky. James said the wrong thing once and wound up with a pumpkin for a head." I laughed.

He bared his teeth at me. "Better?"

"Much!" I said. "Now..." I pointed at my own mouth.

"You want yours done, too?" he asked innocently.

"No, darling, I want a kiss. Now," I added.

He leaned closer. "So demanding! Alright, then."

Our mouths touched softly. His lips were dry and rough from being out of doors so long, but it was delicious. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, then we drew apart, temporarily lost for words.

Then he sat back and regarded me thoughtfully. "Do you know you have the most_...interesting _accent?"

"I do? I guess I do get a lot of curious looks from people who don't know me," I admitted. "Never thought much about it, though."

"Yes...I've only just figured it out. It's a direct cross between Dolly Parton and Princess Margaret." He sat back, unsmiling, but his eyes shone with humor.

I rolled my eyes. "You've got to be kidding! Well, my only hope is that I don't _look _like a cross between Dolly Parton and Princess Margaret; that would _really _be scary."

We both laughed, then eventually fell silent again.

Finally Sirius said, "It's a complete surprise, you being a witch. Why did you never tell me?" he asked quietly.

"I-well-" I began, not knowing where to start. "It's a bit of a long story."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, I want to hear it all."


	9. The Heart Asks Pleasure First

"I read your last letter, of course. The one where you said you would be coming to Hogsmeade." Sirius drank his wine as he studied me.

"Well," I began, "when I met you, like I said, I didn't have any idea I could be a witch. It was more that I thought there was something, I guess, wrong with me. As early as I can remember, I could make little things happen, with my mind. I suppose in a family like yours that would be perfectly normal, but my parents, who are about as Muggle as they come, didn't...much care for it." _An understatement,_ I thought. I continued. "In fact, when they figured out I was the cause of all these weird things happening, they more or less went ballistic." I wasn't sure how much detail to go into on this, so I waited for his reaction.

He looked speculative as he said, "Well, I met several muggle-born students at Hogwarts who had that problem when they were young. But mostly their parents came around as they learned more about the whole community, that there was an entire...parallel universe full of people who were like their kids."

I wasn't sure he understood. "Right. But_ my _parents apparently never talked to any wizards. They were very...religious." I felt as though I wasn't explaining this well. "Not that _I'm _not myself...but they were pretty hardcore fundamentalist types. After seeing me send my dolls across the room to me once or twice when I was little, they were convinced that I was going to hell if I didn't stop. At least that was what I was told all the time."

I stopped and took a sip of wine, studying his expression.

"Ah," he said mildly, but I thought he was beginning to understand the scope of it.

"You'll remember I never spoke to my parents?"

He nodded. "You said they were about as charming as mine," he said with a wry grin.

"Yeah, that's right. Anyway, as I got older, they would punish me pretty severely for anything I did that they thought was magic. Nothing that would be considered physical abuse, but still..." I trailed off for a moment. "And of course I had it drilled into me at the same time that I was doomed, that God hated me, something was wrong with me. But in spite of all that, it was a hard habit to give up. I would do little things in secret, then feel terribly guilty about it. But if I was very upset or angry, it would...come out, which made my parents that much more convinced that I was...possessed or something."

I took a deep breath. "So I eventually learned to control it a bit better ...and I made it through high school just dying to get away from that place. Went to a college far away, thanks to my grandma, who was more sympathetic, then came to England to get even farther away. Then I met you, and fell very hard for you."

He smiled at me and said, "Well, I felt the same way about you."

I wasn't finished, though, so I said, "And when I knew I was in love with you, I was determined I would give it up. I couldn't bear to see you look at me the way my parents did, with so much...revulsion."

He stopped me there and exclaimed, "But you knew I was a wizard! You didn't think you were the same thing? And you never thought it was the least bit abnormal, once you got used to the idea."

I shrugged and said, "And you were an extremely talented and experienced wizard. You and your friends made it seem so...I dunno, poetic even. Waving your wands around and speaking in cod Latin..." With this description I suddenly dissolved into a fit of giggles.

He rolled his eyes and grinned at me. "You make us sound so _girly_!"

"Well, I guess that wasn't the best way to say it," I said, wiping tears of mirth from my eyes as my laughter subsided. "But I never made the connection that you started out like I did when you were a child. Do you understand now?"

He sobered and replied, "Yes. I wish you had trusted me enough to tell me, though."

"Well, hindsight's twenty-twenty, right?" I shrugged. "I wish like hell that I had, too. Well, anyway, that's the basic version." I took another sip of wine.

"Now, tell me how you escaped. It's a miracle you didn't drown, from what Dumbledore said about Azkaban!"

He said, "Well, wizards don't typically die in ways that muggles would. Although I felt like it a few times while swimming to shore," he said ruefully. "I never want to see the ocean again!" He shuddered with the memory.

We continued to talk about the events of the past month leading up to our meeting. I still had a hard time imagining that he could transform into a dog, but obviously it was true. I was tempted to have him demonstrate it in front of me, but I had already yawned a few times, and realized with a shock that it was growing very late. Which led to the question of where he would sleep.

"Are you ready for bed?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I think so."

I wasn't sure how to go from here. Then I decided ... he was still my husband, after all, and now I was vindicated. He had never killed anyone.

"Sirius."

"Yes?"

"Where do you want to sleep?"

He said, "Where do I _want _to sleep? I'll give you three guesses."

I paused, took one last sip of wine, and said, "Come with me."

"Laura?" I paused and turned.

He stood. "Before we go up, I just want to say ... I know we have an, ah, _overwhelming_ number of things to deal with and talk over right now. But can we just enjoy each other tonight and concentrate on everything else later?"

I smiled at him. "That's what I had in mind." I motioned for him to follow me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

We lay in the bed together, facing each other but not touching.

"You go first," I said softly.

"Alright ... favorite group?"

sigh. "Easy. Beatles."

"Still?"

"Yup. You?"

"I'm asking the questions here, Mrs. Black. Remember the first owl I sent you?"

"I do. Thought that was very original, and I probably fell in love with you that day. Couldn't figure out how you trained it to carry a rose, but damn, was I impressed."

"Really? That was what I was going for."

"Absolutely."

"Your turn," he said.

"Hmmm ... when did you know you loved me?" I asked.

"Let's see ... didn't take long. Before we went to bed together the first time. Probably the third or fourth date. Fourth for sure."

"Which one was that?"

"We went to a club with James and Lily, and they were playing this Genesis song."

"Oh yeah. I remember." His hand now touched my waist as he faced me.

"You were dancing, slightly drunk, as I recall -" he smiled at me. "It was 'Follow You, Follow Me', and you took my arms, put them around your waist and whispered the words in my ear."

"Damn, I was forward!"

"I liked it. _I can say__...the night is long, but you are here. Close at hand, oh I'm better for the smile you give ... _He sang softly, then couldn't remember the rest.

"_And while I live I will follow you, will you follow me...All the days and nights that we know will be ..." _I continued. I still listened to that song.

"_I will stay with you, will you stay with me ..." _He lay, head on his pillow, smiling sweetly at me.

I finished the line. "_Just one single tear in each passing year. _We were snogging like mad by the end of that song. I remember it well, despite being tipsy. In fact, that _was_ the first night we slept together."

"Which I have never forgotten, either." His hand moved up from my waist, and gently touched my breast under my nightgown, lazily caressing the nipple.

"Mr. Black, what are you trying to do?"

"Cop a feel, Mrs. Black." He paused. "God, this feels good. Now, you."

"Okay. More of a comment than a question."

"Continue."

"One of the happiest memories I have was when we apparated to that inn in the Lake District What was it? Wasdale Head or something. Where you proposed to me in bed because the weather had gotten bad."

"Oh yes. That didn't exactly go to plan, so I was forced to improvise a bit."

"It was beautiful. And the innkeeper, who couldn't figure out how we got there. You told him we _walked." _We both laughed at the memory.

"We were miles from anywhere ... the look on his face was priceless!" He grinned. Then he sobered a bit.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I said drowsily, studying his face. Despite everything he had endured and his rough haggard look, I still thought he was beautiful.

"Has there been anyone ... since we last saw each other?" He asked innocently enough, but I wondered if he had been dwelling on it. "I mean, I understand completely if ..."

I touched his face. "You do, huh?" I said with a hint of irony. "Well, no. There hasn't been anyone. Oh, unless you count Bob," I added, suddenly remembering.

He sat up on an elbow. "And who is Bob?"

I said, "I'll be right back."

As I walked into the loo, he repeated, "Who's Bob?" louder now.

Opening my goody drawer, I pulled out my pet vibrator and walked back to the bed. "_This_ is Bob."

He laughed in relief. "Why _Bob?"_

I said, "My battery-operated boyfriend," with a leer.

I strode back to the toilet, saying over my shoulder, "Hope you don't mind."

When I came into the room again, smirking, he pulled the covers back so I could climb in. But I remembered something else.

"Do you recall that I had a present for you?"

He thought a moment, and said, "Oh yes! In your last letter."

"Would you like it now?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Yes, _please_!" he answered, patting the space beside him on the bed. I rolled my eyes.

"Honey ... don't worry about that just _yet_. I've been dying to give this to you."

He shrugged ruefully, and said, "Oh, go ahead. Something I've always wanted?"

I said, "Hopefully. At least more recently."

Now I walked to my dresser, opening a few drawers before I found what I was looking for. Then, pulling out a long box, I removed it from the drawer and presented it to my husband.

"Happy Belated Birthday, darling. I still owe you for quite a few, but this is a start, anyway." I leaned over him and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

He took the proffered box and opened it immediately.

"A wand," he said in amazement. "I love it," he added, taking it out and studying the design. "What kind?" I figured he assumed I had just gone to Ollivander's and picked out any old wand.

"...Same one as James' wand," I attempted to explain.

"Ah," he said, waving it experimentally. He seemed to be humoring me, but was probably thinking I had ignorantly bought a wand that didn't fit him.

"You and James use the exact same type of wand ... fifteen inches, cedar with unicorn hair, I think he said," I clarified. "Ollivander told me when James was trying them out... he was pretty impressed. The infamous Sirius Black. Bit of a weirdo, Ollivander. So I informed him that since James was so ... absent-minded, he could probably do with an extra, if Ollivander would care to make one."

"Does he know James is my son?"

"No," I admitted. "He used my maiden name."

He looked intently at me. "You ... are amazing, and I love you. Get in bed. _Now_." He pointed his new wand at me threateningly.

I did as I was told.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

For the first time all night, we didn't speak. Facing me with his head resting on his pillow, he resumed caressing my body, lightly touching all my curves at first. Then his touch grew bolder as he explored. I gasped occasionally at the sensations I hadn't felt in so long, and put my hands on him as well. For all his thinness and untidy appearance, I found his wildness attractive in its own way. I threaded my fingers through his thick wavy hair, now streaked sporadically with grey strands. His eyes glittered in the light of the single candle in the room as he continued his ministrations.

Then we moved closer, bodies touching as he began to kiss me. Slowly, at first, then we both grew increasingly intoxicated with desire, having been denied it for so long. His lips moved to other parts of my body, the beard adding a ticklish sensation that was driving me mad with pleasure. I could feel his hardness against me as his mouth moved over mine again, and he shifted his body so that I could wrap my legs around him. My lips formed an O of pleasure as he put himself inside me, and he gasped at the same time.

"Oh God!" he moaned. "You are so tight." He couldn't help but thrust repeatedly in me, filling me up, as I pulled him toward me with my legs at the same time. He whispered words of love, adoration, lust, yearning, and we both grew increasingly excited. Finally he climaxed with an ecstatic moan and collapsed on top of me. We rested in silence, Sirius wrapped in the tangle of my arms and legs. His breathing eventually slowed as he lay there until I realized he must have fallen asleep. Softly stroking his hair, I said a silent prayer of thanks to God, who _didn't_ hate me, it seemed, for my husband's return. Then I drifted off myself.

**A/N: Holy Thesaurus, Batman. Sex scenes, it turns out, are hard to write well. Hope I did their first one justice. Maybe someday I'll discover a nice romantic word for "penis". Oh well. If you made it this far, THANK YOU! and sorry it took so long to get to this point. I was pretty excited for them to wind up in bed myself. I managed to get the last several chapters out quicker because I'd written them a while back and just had to rework here and there. The subsequent ones (where the tempo should pick up, re the timeline) will be slightly less frequent, but I'll still be working hard on the story, so no worries. Thanks so much for reading. It's been a real pleasure and learning experience, and I can't wait to get started on the next chapter. And to everyone who has taken time to review, I'm very grateful for them...they really help and are a pleasure to read!**


	10. Second Honeymoon

**Rated M for sexual situations/language**

**Disclaimer (better late than never): All Harry Potter characters are not my property, nor do I make any money from them. They are the property of JK Rowling and rights-holders.**

I awoke with a start. Whatever vague dream I had been having had suddenly vaporized. At first I had the terrible thought that I had dreamed the whole evening before, but as I sat propped up on my elbow in the total darkness, I eventually made out the sound of deep, even breathing and knew Sirius was in fact in bed with me.

I leaned over in his direction and aimed a soft kiss at the back of his shoulder. He stirred momentarily with a sleepy grunt, then was silent. I was rather hoping he might awaken and want to make love again. But I hated to bother him, so I curled up around him, putting a light arm over his waist. He moved again, and slowly turned so he was facing me.

"You awake, darling?" he murmured drowsily.

"Mmmm. Barely," I whispered.

He leaned his head over and kissed me on the lips. "I'm sorry I passed out on you."

"S'okay. Felt good to have you lay in my arms."

I squinted in his direction, but in the dark couldn't make out even the meanest of features. So I used my hands instead, feeling softly along his face, detecting the coarse hair of the unkempt beard, mustache, long unbrushed hair. Still drowsy, I kissed him back slowly. I cared about nothing but feeling his mouth on my skin and the warmth of his body next to mine, and continued my attentions. Nothing else, not Azkaban, nor the ministry, mattered ... he was with me now. As he slowly became more alert, he began kissing me again softly, lazily moving his tongue over mine, then laid me gently back down on the bed and cupped my face with his rough calloused hands.

"Just want you to know, I _do_ mean to take a bath," he said with a hint of humor between kisses.

"Don't worry about it. We can take one together in the morning," I said softly as he opened my mouth and began probing more insistently. He moved further south until he was at my breast, circling my areola with his tongue.

"You taste _so_ good," he breathed, now taking the entire nipple in his mouth and lightly biting it.

"That's not fair," I gasped.

He stopped. "What do you mean?"

"Lay down," I instructed him. "I didn't get to do this to you last night." He rolled on his back obediently, waiting for me.

I leaned over him and traced his nipple with the tip of my tongue, and enjoyed the salty taste of his skin. He drew in a breath sharply.

"I'm sorry I was so, um, _quick_ last time," he said, then groaned as I continued.

"Shhh. You were perfect." I resumed my actions on his chest while my hands were discovering other parts of his body. He was impatient, though.

"Get on top ... _now_." His voice was rough with desire.

I did as he asked, spreading my legs on either side of his hips, and sat on his erection. Then laying on top of him, I kissed him roughly as I massaged his member with my body, arousing myself further as my clitoris rubbed him. Soon his cock was slick with wetness and I allowed it to slide into me, both of us gasping at the sensation.

He began whispering to me as I moved back and forth, sitting back up and running my hands over his chest.

"Oh God, how I've missed this...missed you. You are so beautiful." His hands weaved through my hair and I fell on top of him again, kissing him roughly as we continued to make love. My position on top enhanced my pleasure tremendously, and soon I had an absolutely glorious orgasm, then in a haze of ecstasy watched Sirius do the same thing. Afterward we slept again, late into the morning.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"So, how do we do this?" I asked Sirius later as we drank tea and munched on toast. We had finally gotten out of bed and taken a long bath together. His hair was still damp and jaw reddened from his recent shave, and he had trimmed his beard and mustache significantly. We quickly devoured breakfast, as I recalled that we had not eaten any supper the previous evening. I set about making some more toast.

"Well, you need protection, for one," he said. "I'm worried that it's only a matter of time before a ministry official finds out about us and tries to interrogate you. In fact, I'm amazed that they haven't already. And damned if I will let them hurt you. So obviously I should stay here ... should be safe for us both if I'm Padfoot in public." I nodded in agreement, mouth full. I wasn't about to let him leave anyway.

He looked thoughtfully at me as he leaned over the counter, spreading marmalade over the hot toast.

"How much does Dumbledore know?" he asked.

"Hmm.. he had figured out before I met him that we were married, or at least had been together. But I think he caught on pretty quickly that I didn't have a clue about what had happened to you." I couldn't even talk about this subject without feeling a stab of sadness about the last twelve years.

"I haven't spoken to him since he helped me move up here," I continued. "I'm supposed to go Monday to Hogwarts to see him. And another professor, I think."

"Really? Who?" he asked, interested.

"Dunno," I replied. "Now that you're with me, I'd just as soon you teach me this stuff."

He smiled broadly. "Good idea. We can practice together, actually, as rusty as I am." He put his arms around me. "Thank you again for the wand." He kissed me, firmly, on the lips.

"I meant to tell you this earlier," he said, "but I _really _like the Corvette." He grinned at me, cocking an eyebrow and motioned in the general direction of the front of the house.

"Why, thank you, darling," I said, smiling back at him. "I saw it on a trip to the States and decided I had to have it. Ridiculous purchase, really ... probably cost more to ship it than the car was worth. Hopefully we'll get to drive it soon." Exactly how we would accomplish that I didn't know. The only road in and out of Hogsmeade was incredibly lumpy and bumpy. I guessed wizards didn't really bother with using it, and its poor condition was a good way to keep nosy muggles away.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

We continued to talk the rest of the morning. He asked me many things about James, and admitted that he had already looked through a photo album that I had kept chronicling our son's milestones. I took it back out and showed it to him again, pointing out various bits of minutiae about the photographs. He positively beamed with pride at James' prior achievements, and ran a finger over one of the pictures as if to touch him. "You did well, darling," was all he said to me and took me in his arms to hug me tight.

Later, I mentioned to Sirius that it would be a good idea to head somewhere and pick up some things for him. I had some of his old clothes that I couldn't bear to part with years earlier, but I knew he would need more, as well as minor items such as toiletries.

"How does Dovetown sound?" I asked. I was leery of buying those kinds of things in tiny Hogsmeade, knowing that the shopkeepers there would be curious about my purchases. "You can either stay here, or go as the dog."

"I'll go with you," he said without hesitation. "I'd like to be out of doors for a while."

I mentioned the train schedule, but Sirius laughed and said, "Don't worry about that. We'll apparate close by."

"Are you sure?" I said uncertainly. After all, he hadn't done it in a very long time, and side-along apparition used to make me nervous, even under ideal circumstances.

"Of course!" He replied confidently. "I'll transform soon as we get there. Be much quicker than taking the local train."

Against my better judgement, I agreed to go via apparition. I went upstairs to finish getting ready, then returned to see Sirius looking again at the pictures of James. Upon seeing me, he closed the album and asked, "Ready?"

"Sure!" I answered a bit too brightly.

He came up to me holding his wand, then put his arms around me and kissed me softly. We were off. The only way to describe such a sensation was as if we were traveling through a thin tube at light speed, body parts squeezed tight. I could hardly breathe and began to panic, but just as I did, we landed with a tiny _thump _on our feet at the edge of the woods by Dovetown. Taking no chances, Sirius immediately transformed, and we walked together, woman and dog, until we came to the edge of town.

There were a larger selection of shops here than in Hogsmeade, so we ambled around the High Street for a few minutes before deciding on a men's clothing store. Sirius, alias Padfoot, sat perched on his haunches outside as I went in, glad I had remembered to bring some muggle cash and credit cards along. I found several items of clothing that he needed, and walked out with two large bags. We made a few other stops, including the post office to check for mail, before I stopped at a small eatery for takeaway. Then we walked back to our original apparition point. It was a good place to sit and eat. Sirius stayed a dog while he ate in case any muggles happened across us, but nobody did. When we were finished, he transformed and we quickly apparated back to the house.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The remainder of the week felt like our second honeymoon. When we weren't hanging out in the house, where we didn't bother with clothes half the time, we would take walks around Hogsmeade and the surrounding trails. Sirius would transform into a man only when we were sure nobody was remotely close, and these treks were made in the daytime to avoid chancing any encounters with dementors. I had a hard time picturing what these beings would be like, but Sirius, who obviously knew better than anyone, made sure we were equipped with wands anytime we went out. He began to show me some basic spells, conveniently putting an arm around me while standing behind me, guiding my hand.

"Now, is Dumbledore going to teach me this way?" I teased as he kissed the back of my neck during one of these demonstrations.

"Not if he knows what's good for him," he said, now taking a breast in his hand. "Ready for a break?" he whispered tantalizingly. We took a rather long one.

Happy as I was, now reunited with my husband, a small part of me was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He seemed to be doing well thus far, considering all he had been through, but I was secretly afraid this wouldn't last. Indeed, any time the subject of Peter Pettigrew came up, he would grow very agitated, saying he wanted nothing more than to kill him. I agreed that Pettigrew certainly deserved to die, but since that would effectively seal Sirius' fate and deny him freedom, he shouldn't attempt to kill him, but the goal should be to capture and expose him instead. He reluctantly agreed, though he was obviously chomping at the bit to wring Pettigrew's worthless neck himself.

Now it was Sunday morning and I had picked up a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. As usual, the entire front page was full of claims of Sirius-sightings and the standard mug shot from twelve years earlier, as well as a more recent one in which his hair was extremely long and matted. He laughed heartily at some of the ridiculous accounts as I read them out loud, rather dramatically. But then he sobered up a bit.

"I think you have no idea what effect your letters had on me," he said thoughtfully. We hadn't discussed his escape much since our initial encounter. "I was all set to storm into Hogwarts and kill Pettigrew on the spot before that. Didn't really care what happened to me as long as I annihilated him."

I started to speak, then hesitated, thinking of something else. "Why did you wait twelve years?" I asked quietly. I was really thinking, _why didn't you ever come looking for _me?

He seemed to be considering his words carefully. Finally he said, "Well, like I said, I had long convinced myself that you didn't care about me anymore. I told you, in Azkaban, it's impossible to think anything pleasant. I couldn't stop thinking about you, but it seemed I could only picture you with someone else. You were a lovely young woman and I imagined you had somehow divorced me and married some muggle guy and had a million muggle kids. I was extremely jealous in my thoughts of you. Dementors don't bother with feelings like that so it's easy to cultivate them when you can't think anything pleasant."

He sighed. "I can't really explain how I escaped. Something just, um, _snapped_ inside me when I saw that disgusting excuse for a wizard calmly perched on a boy's shoulder." His voice grew increasingly venemous. He had shown me the picture in question, crumpled up and faded. _The Weasley family in front of the Sphinx, _I remembered the caption saying.

"I knew Harry was there and Pettigrew would jump on the opportunity to give him to Voldemort, whenever that arose. So I picked a time when they had opened the door to give me food, and rushed out as a dog. They couldn't see me. Made my way down to the entrance...bloody labyrinth..." he shuddered. "It took forever. Finally I made it outside and jumped promptly into the sea. Didn't look back.

"Then your letters, hundreds of them, literally dropped out of the sky like a gift from God not a week later. I realized that, not only had you _not_ married again nor forgotten me, but, unbelieveably, you still loved me and told our son all about me. I can't describe how," he paused and his voice cracked slightly, "_wonderful _it felt to know my wife cared about me after all this time. And I desperately wanted to write you back, but I had no means to do it, so I modified my plans. I would come looking for you first. But when I made it to our house outside London, you were gone. Fortunately, you had written again and told me where you were going. Thank God for that!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

We spent the evening laying about and reading. Sirius had thumbed through some of my textbooks, studiously avoiding _Hogwarts - A History_, declaring it to be incredibly boring and not worth a read.

"I can tell you anything you want to know about Hogwarts," he said proudly. "James, Mooney and I -" he avoided mentioning Pettigrew- "knew the place backward and forward by the time we passed our NEWTs. Don't bother with this drivel." He pointed at the book. "_Standard Book of Spells, Volume One_ - that should be pretty useful, though." He went through the others, extolling their virtues as well.

Finally, we went to bed. After we made love, I lay my head on his chest, feeling the thump of his heartbeat against my ear.

"Anything I should know about meeting Dumbledore?" I asked, gently running my fingers over his chest.

"Well, he's very astute, and an accomplished legilimens. Hope and pray he doesn't ask you pointblank if you've seen me. I rather doubt he'd do that, though. I think he's more the type to let you keep your secrets and find other ways of worming information out of you." For whatever reason, he didn't seem very worried about this.

I admitted that I was nervous, but also excited to see what would happen.

"Don't worry about him. He's a good man, and fair," he reassured me, and kissed the top of my head. "Any songs you want to sing with me tonight?" I could hear the humor in his voice.

"I'll get back to you. Can't think of anything suitably romantic just now," I said, now drowsy.

"You still haven't played the piano for me yet. I miss hearing you," he said softly.

"Well, that's a good thing, as I'm a bit out of practice," I replied. "Maybe before long. I love you." I reached up to kiss him.

"I love you, too." He answered. I snuggled next to him as we both drifted off.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning after an early breakfast, Sirius decided to go with me to Hogwarts. He wanted the opportunity to prowl around the grounds while I was in my lessons with Dumbledore. We agreed to meet on the lawn below the main courtyard around lunch time. I was to tell Dumbledore, should he ask, that I wanted to walk around and explore a bit. The headmaster had already warned me against straying from the main path between the two places, not that he needed to. I had no intention of running afoul of a dementor. When I was ready, Sirius/Padfoot and I exited the house and, instead of heading in the direction of the village center, walked the other way along the well worn path that led to the castle. The morning was chilly, and I shivered slightly in the cold until my joints warmed up with the exercise. The walk took about half an hour until we arrived at the gatehouse, now heavily fortified. I detected a sigh from Sirius/Padfoot at the extra precautions, meant to protect everyone from him. It was then that I realized exactly how dangerous it was for me to be involved with him. I had a sudden image of myself, locked far away in Azkaban, and wondered if Sirius had thought about that possibility.

After an identity check, where I presented a handwritten note from Professor Dumbledore as proof that I was acceptable, we were admitted onto the grounds. The guard looked curiously at the great black dog, but didn't seem to act as though he was suspicious. Once away from the gate and alone again, the dog yanked my sleeve with his teeth and walked off the path a short distance. I followed him into a secluded copse, where he looked around, then transformed quickly. The process still amazed me, seeing him do it, but I whispered urgently, "What are you doing?"

"Just giving you a quick kiss," he whispered back. "I'm sure we won't have a problem meeting up, but if you don't see me for some reason, we'll join up back at the house."

"The house - ?" I asked, alarmed. "No! Neither of us needs to be walking around here alone. Oh, and promise me you will be careful." I touched his face and we kissed briefly.

"You're right. I'm sure I'll see you at lunch, darling." He transformed again, back into the dog, and loped off while I continued walking to the castle for my meeting.


	11. The First Day of School

"So! How are you this morning?" Professor Dumbledore looked down at me with a cheerful smile.

"Not bad for a Monday," I replied, smiling back.

"I trust you had no problems at the gatehouse?" he asked.

I said, "No, not at all." I was a bit shy all of a sudden, finding him to be rather an imposing figure despite his polite manner.

"Well, here is what we will do. For the next hour or so, I will go over some general topics with you ... easy spells, magical theory, things like that. Then I have a meeting with one of the teachers, so I will introduce you to another professor who also will be demonstrating some spells for you and talking about defence. You may know him already," he added mildly.

I was surprised. "Oh really? What's his name?"

"R.J. Lupin. He is a contemporary of your husband's. They were in school together and used to be good friends."

I started at the reference to Sirius. I thought the name sounded vaguely familiar, but since I had met very few wizards that Sirius had known other than James and Lily, I couldn't be sure he was one of them.

"Maybe," I said cautiously. I needed to be very careful about what I said about my husband.

He then changed the subject, asking me a few more general questions about life in Hogsmeade and how I was coping without James. Then we moved on to the topic of spells. He described some basic ones – _accio, locomotor_, having me try them. Sirius had already begun to show me how to hold the wand correctly and proper waving technique. Dumbledore noticed that I seemed to pick it up quickly and commented on it.

"Very good form," he praised at one point. I was thrilled by his positive comments, but didn't tell him, of course, that I had been working on them already.

Then we discussed aspects of fundamental magical theory before turning to more personal topics. Just as Sirius had predicted, he hadn't asked me anything about my husband, just general questions about how well I was settling in. I asked how James was adjusting; he had yet to send a return owl after my first letter to him and I was anxious. James was doing very well, he reported. He had told no one of his relationship to Sirius Black, and fortunately Black was a common enough surname that he wasn't bothered or teased about it much.

The hour was soon up and Dumbledore informed me he was headed for a meeting with a few other professors. I was to meet Lupin for an hour or so to discuss some basic defensive spells, then my first day at Hogwarts would be over.

"You said you are not familiar with Professor Lupin?" he asked again as we walked down the hallway toward my next destination.

"Mmmm ... seems like I may have heard the name before ... I'm not sure." I asked.

Dumbledore glanced at me. "Well, as I said, he was great friends with your husband years ago. His first name is Remus."

That name rang a bell. "Oh, yeah, I do remember that, but don't really recall meeting him. Sirius always called him 'Mooney.'" I remembered now. The werewolf. Sirius would be interested to hear what Lupin was up to these days. I thought of Peter Pettigrew and wondered how it would be possible to convey what I knew about him. I wanted to plant as many seeds of doubt in the Professor's mind as I could, hoping to steer him toward belief in my husband's innocence.

"Does he know I'm married to Sirius?" I asked, to be prepared.

"I haven't said anything about it to him," was his only reply.

As we walked through the halls filled with students, the thought struck me that I might see the rat's redheaded owner around here when I visited. This brainwave was so obvious I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before. I filed it away to mull over later, as we rounded a corner and approached the Defence classroom and Professor Lupin's office. I wondered what it would be like to see a werewolf in the flesh. He was sitting at his desk as we came in, and rose immediately, giving me a cheerful smile and pumping my hand enthusiastically.

"Professor Lupin, this is Laura ... Black," Dumbledore announced with the briefest of pauses.

Lupin gazed at me speculatively and said amiably, "Very nice to meet you, Laura." I returned the greeting, smiling at him. Dumbledore excused himself at this point, promising to see me again in a few days' time.

"Please sit down," he said politely, gesturing toward the nearest chair. "Professor Dumbledore has informed me of your ... unique situation. You're getting a bit of a late start, aren't you?" He smiled again pleasantly.

"Well, er, yes, it's a complicated issue." I said, not really wanting to go into the whole subject. I noticed he looked a bit pale, and wondered if he always appeared that way, or if perhaps it had more to do with the recent full moon.

"Your accent is rather unique. Are you from Canada? Australia?" he probed.

"No, United States. Lived over here for several years though," I answered.

He looked at me speculatively for a moment, then said, "And your son's name is James? Professor Dumbledore mentioned to me that you had a child attending here." His face was carefully impassive.

"Yes, James is my son. Have you met?"

"Of course. He's in my first year Defense class. When I first saw him I couldn't get over how ... familiar he looked." He paused to gauge my reaction.

"Well, he looks much more like his father than me," I replied evasively. "Is he doing okay?"

"Oh yes, very bright boy. He'll do well. Strong-willed, as well." I wondered what _that _meant.

"Well, he takes after his father in that respect, too."

"Ah," he replied, then changed the subject, delving into the intracacies of Defense theory.

By the time we were finished for the day, I felt very comfortable around Professor Lupin. He seemed friendly and easygoing. I wondered whether or not to tell him about being married to his former friend, then ultimately decided to wait until another time.

He walked out of the classroom area and to the courtyard doors, through the melee of students on their way to lunch. As the only adult in the vicinity in muggle clothing, I got more than a few curious looks, but ignored them, searching vainly for my son. I didn't see him, though, and I figured it was time to part with Lupin in order to find Sirius.

"Well, I think I'll just, um, hang around for a bit, and explore before leaving," I said, hoping he would take the hint.

He seemed to know he was being brushed off, but said politely, "Are you sure you wouldn't like to eat first?"

"Oh, no. I ate breakfast late and I'll probably just do an early supper," I said, "but thanks anyway."

He smiled and said, "Alright, then, see you Wednesday." Then he turned and ambled back into the building, hands in his pockets.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I leaned against the courtyard wall for a few minutes before moving on. I was a bit worried about finding Sirius after he had tried to change plans on me at the last minute. Surely he still planned on walking back to Hogsmeade with me. I bounded down the stone steps that led to the lawn, then strolled around watching a few of the students who were goofing off outsde in the mild weather. I supposed they were missing lunch, or perhaps ate at a different time. Then I heard a distant bark, and looked in that direction. Sirius/Padfoot was emerging from the woods nearby, right on time, and barked again in recognition when he saw me. Then I noticed a cat streaking across the lawn and up toward the castle.

I walked over to him and patted the rough fur on his head. "Ready to go?" I asked softly, though no one was near enough to hear us. He nodded his black head slightly, and we began to walk in the direction of the school entrance.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

We had an uneventful trip back home, and when I unlocked the door by use of magic, we went in, noticing a few pieces of mail on the floor that had been put through the slot. I picked them up curiously, and noticed that they were just the usual advertisements for local businesses in Hogsmeade. I guessed even wizards couldn't get around receiving junk mail. I threw them aside as Sirius transformed back into a man.

"This feels much better," he commented, stretching a bit and giving me a nice long kiss.

"So, how was your first day at school, young lady?" he asked with a mischievous grin. He still had his arms wrapped around me and I began to think school was the last thing on his mind.

"Very well, just general stuff today." I shrugged. "I met the other teacher, though," I said innocently, knowing he would be dying of curiosity. He let go of me and watched me.

"Who was it?" he asked anxiously.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," I announced, biting into an apple. He looked shocked.

"Remus Lupin?" he asked incredulously, for confirmation.

I nodded. "Yes. Very nice man," I added with a mouth full of apple.

He was silent, absorbing this new information.

"And I'm not sure," I continued, "but I'd bet he knows you're involved somehow, though Dumbledore says he didn't tell him anything."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, anyone can see that you and James look alike, if they ever knew you, which he did. He didn't say anything outright, but I'm sure he was thinking it. And with our last name being 'Black'..." I trailed off and shrugged, finishing my apple.

He finally said, "Well, this makes a difference. I'll have to be a lot more careful at Hogwarts, since Remus knows about Padfoot."

He seemed lost in thought for a few minutes, then snapped out of it. "Alright, ready for lunch? Or would you rather do _something else_?" He gave me another lingering kiss in explanation.

"Something else sounds much better," I said, not remotely hungry for food now.

"Let's go back to bed," he whispered, now moving down to kiss my neck. His neatly trimmed beard brushed my skin lightly, giving me goosebumps, and I gasped involuntarily.

"What's wrong with right here?" I said, kissing him back. I unbuttoned his shirt and caressed his chest with my tongue, gradually moving ever lower. He helpfully removed the rest of his clothing until I reached my destination, and groaned in anticipation.

I took him in my mouth, sliding my tongue over him as he continued to make little noises of pleasure. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me closer as the intensity increased. We continued like this for several minutes. Finally we drew apart and he grabbed me roughly, pushing me to the floor.

We kissed fiercely as our bodies became entwined on the carpet. He wasted no time thrusting inside me. "Wrap your legs around me," he commanded. As I did, he entered me even more deeply. Suddenly I stopped and pulled away from him.

"What's the matter?" he asked, voice thick with desire.

"Nothing," I said, pushing him over on his back and taking him in my mouth again. The taste was different this time, but I didn't mind.

He continued to writhe as I massaged him with my mouth and tongue. "You love torturing me, don't you?" he whispered between gasps.

I paused what I was doing for a brief moment. "Well, I do like watching you squirm," I said with a provocative smile, moving up to kiss him once before resuming my previous activities. He let me do this for a while, before rolling me back over and regaining his position on top.

When we were finished, we both lay heaving on the floor. Sirius lay on his stomach, resting his arm over me. "I want to stay like this forever."

"Mmmm ... me too," I said.

"No, I mean, I want us to have a normal marriage. I want a relationship with my son. Hiding out and skulking around as a dog, I'm tired of it already. I want to be a real husband ... do things we used to do. Mundane things, even." A degree of frustration was evident in his voice. "I want to catch Pettigrew ... torture him for ruining our lives. He's hurt so many people."

I looked helplessly at him. "Well ... I think it can be done. Between the two of us, we can get him, don't you think? I mean, you already know the name of the kid who keeps him. We'll brainstorm and come up with a way to catch him."

He smiled faintly at me, but said, "Laura, you should stay away from him. He's obviously much more sinister than any of us imagined and I'm afraid he wouldn't hesitate to hurt you. Let me deal with him."

He rolled over on his back, looking up at the ceiling. "I met someone today who can help, I think."

I raised my head, surprised. "You met someone?"

"Yes," he said, "a cat, of all things. We managed to communicate a little. Wasn't easy, but I think he'll help."

"How's a cat going to help you?" I wished I had seen this conversation taking place.

He looked thoughtfully upward. "I think he's got some kneazle in him," as if that explained everything.

"Oh, a _kneazle," _ I said sarcastically, though I smiled. "And what, pray, is a kneazle?"

He caught my tone, and matched it. "_Well, _a kneazle is a magical creature that appears to be a cat. They have an easy time sorting out people who are -" he paused, searching for the correct word, "- untrustworthy, I suppose. I think he knew who I was asking about when I mentioned the rat. I'm supposed to be meeting him a few nights from now." And with this cryptic comment, he changed the subject.

"So, ready for lunch?" he asked. "I'm starving."


	12. Glimpses of the Past

To Sirius, the crisp fall days seemed to be passing way too quickly. He was physically healthier and happier than he had been in years, being with his wife and reestablishing their relationship. Soon it became October and, as the leaves fell, he grew discouraged at making no headway with catching Pettigrew. He left the house as Padfoot more frequently now, many times at night, and arriving back home close to daybreak. He had made the acquaintance of a flat-faced ugly cat, half kneazle, who had instantly become his friend, despite the obvious language barrier. On many of these nights, he would meet the cat to collect information. Fortunately for him, the cat enjoyed unlimited access to the dormitories at Hogwarts, and reported that, yes, he was aware of a nasty little rat who was the pet of a Gryffindor boy, friends with his owner. He had originally met him in The Leaky Cauldron just before term had begun, and had hated him on sight, chasing him through the inn just to see him scurry away squealing madly. The cat vowed to keep Padfoot updated on any news involving the rat, and relished the idea of capturing him.

Though Sirius told Laura where he was going on these nocturnal trips, she worried about him, afraid for his safety. He assured her that he was perfectly fine, but many nights she slept alone, and the following morning she would awaken with relief to find him sleeping soundly, having recently gotten in the bed. He was usually worse for wear on these occasions from walking about in the woods with the cat, and would finally rise in the afternoons to see her, having returned from school, pulling burrs and leaves out of his hair with an expression somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

He stopped going to Hogwarts with Laura for the most part, believing that his nighttime visits were more productive in gathering intelligence. On the days that she had lessons there, he would stay home, reading and looking at various photo albums and scrapbooks she had put together over the years.

He couldn't get enough of looking at James in these and wished he could see him in person again soon. The more he dug around, he managed to find a few older albums. One contained pictures of her as a girl and with various ribbons and certificates relating to her musical accomplishments, and there were a few with pictures from college, but one was purely photographs of Laura and Sirius after they became a couple. He flipped slowly through this collection, many with captions, and various memories came flooding back to him. There was the Wasdale Head Inn, where he had proposed to her. He was standing in front of it, obviously freezing, in an unexpected snowstorm. She had taken the picture. The note below it simply said, _My fiance._ Another one from the same place, this time in the pub, had both Sirius and Laura in it. He recalled the innkeeper taking that one. There were also, to his delight, a few of him and James, typically goofing off, and more of James and Lily. Most didn't have Laura in them, since she had taken the majority of them, but then he saw one in particular with both of them. They were in a club, dancing closely, looking into each others' eyes. He searched his mind for the song, but couldn't think of what it might have been. Apparently a popular song at the time, judging by the number of other couples in the same pose as them. He wondered idly who had taken the picture, James or Lily, but continued looking at the rest of the album, then lay back down for a bit, still tired from his all night trek on the Hogwarts grounds.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

One morning in early October, after he had stayed the night with Laura in Hogsmeade, she had kissed him goodbye and gone to Hogwarts to meet Remus for a Defence lesson. She had mentioned to Sirius once about having some of his things boxed up in the house, so as he munched on an apple, he finally remembered to look for them, more out of nostalgia than any real need.

He walked upstairs to the spare attic room, groaning at the sheer number of unopened boxes. She was not a great labeler, he noted wryly. None of the dusty boxes held any clues as to their contents. He shrugged to himself and, setting aside the half-eaten apple, opened the first one he came to. It was full of old clothing, all hers, he noticed as he pilfered through it. He set it to the side and opened the next one. This one contained some of his old clothing, neatly folded. He wondered what she had thought when she packed his things up. It must have been very upsetting for her ... as if he were dead. When had she done this? He thought it was probably at a point when she realized he was never coming back. The dated designs were still in good condition; mostly denim jeans and several shirts. A pair of tan corduroy slacks that looked like something he never would have worn, but he supposed he must have.

As he put them back in the box, he heard a jingling noise like loose change. He felt in the pockets and pulled out a few pound coins, some stray galleons, and a ticket stub. _The Empire Strikes Back. 30 June 1980._ He thought for a moment, then remembered vaguely going to see it. _This movie is pathetic, _he recalled whispering to his new wife. They hadn't been married but a few months. _Shhhh..._she hissed. _Han Solo's on. _He shot her a disgusted look as she ate her popcorn, clearly mesmerized by Han kissing Leia for the first time, while the Millenium Falcon was out of commission. He had the slightest suspicion that she had a crush on the actor playing Han, but she never admitted to it. She had the same look in her eye during _Raiders of the Lost __Ark_, the following year. He snickered at the distant memory now, but kept the ticket stub, carefully setting it aside.

He opened another one, packed to the brim with memorabilia from James' early childhood, and picked up a tiny pottery bowl with James' name on the underside. He smiled at this and the other objects he pulled out; pages colored in preschool, stick figure drawings of James and his mummy (no daddy drawn, he noted with sadness), and more pictures which didn't make it in his photo albums, apparently. After pilfering through this one several more minutes, he finally closed the container and went on to the next one.

After going through a few more boxes, Sirius was ready to admit defeat and occupy his time elsewhere. He opened one last box, though, before giving up. This one contained a number of soft bound books. He flipped through the first one, realizing that it was a journal. He opened one and peeked inside.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius felt slightly ashamed, reading his wife's journals, but at the same time it was a guilty pleasure, and he told himself that the contents were so old that it wouldn't matter to her at this point.

Flipping through various diaries, he noticed that most contained minutiae scattered throughout, mingled with comments speculating about Sirius' whereabouts and welfare. She obviously had pieced her life back together bit by bit in the years after his disappearance, but clearly missing him at the same time. In the same carton he found a few more letters she had written to him but hadn't bothered mailing. He hungrily read these, missing the stacks of missives he had been forced to leave behind. There was something comforting about having them near, even though he had Laura with him again. After reading them, he carefully set them aside to put in a place where he could re-read at leisure.

He scanned through a few more journals, until he came upon one that was from 1981, the year he had been taken away. The early posts were mostly trivial, though some were rather racy. She, he was glad to read, had thought very highly of his assets and prowess in bed. She had described several sexual encounters with delight, and was clearly very happy with him. In bed and out. He remembered some of them himself as he read, growing aroused while poring over her meticulous accounts. He wished she were there just now so they could repeat a few of them, and made a note to keep this particular book close by for inspiration.

Then he got to the fall of 1981. The entire month of November had no posts, maybe not surprising since she must have been devastated and frantic. Then he realized why, while reading the next post, from early December. Where her earlier entries were more descriptive and flowing, this one was just the opposite. Short, clipped, devoid of emotion.

_3 December_

_Released yesterday. I'm in hell. My life is over. Sirius gone. Afraid he's dead. Made mistake of telling police everything about him. Wizard, wand, the works. By the time I was done crying, screaming, demanding to know what happened to him, was told I was danger to myself and needed to be sent to Maudsley for observation. Not exactly given an option. Set fire to police station by accident, but they didn't figure out was me at least. Carted off, had to meet shrinks who looked at me like I was a total nutter. James and Lily gone. Harry gone. Shrink obviously doesn't believe they exist. Kept making me take shots to calm me. To stop me screaming where's my husband. They took him away, but nobody will admit they took him away. They say no information about him anywhere. Just look at me like I'm crazy. Apparently, I am. crazy and pregnant. They laid off some of the meds when we made that little discovery. Kept throwing up. They accused me of doing it on purpose. Finally some bright bulb in that place thought to give me a pregnancy test. Positive. God, what am I going to do? Have to meet shrink again tomorrow, then for weekly visits. Tell them whatever they want to hear. Don't care about the baby. Or anything._

All erotic thoughts had long since vanished by the time he finished reading this passage. He sat on the floor, stunned by his first hand glimpse at what she had gone through right after his disappearance. The thought of someone drugging or interrogating his sweet terrified wife, because she was desperate to find him, made him ill. He stared at the passage for a few minutes, then put the diary down slowly.

Though he really didn't feel like it, he opened a few more books, needing to read something happy and positive to prove life wasn't completely unbearable for her. One contained entries from 1979. Sirius leafed through several pages to read her accounts of moving to England, settling in, her random work on the thesis that she wasn't really very interested in. Mention of a few men she had dated before meeting him. He noted with a childish sense of relief that she hadn't slept with any of them. Then he saw an entry with his name in it.

_Sunday, 27 May_

_Went to Regents Park today, my excuse being to work on Emo. But really, to relax in the sunshine. Beautiful day. Made more beautiful when I saw a gorgeous guy ... long wavy hair that fell in his eyes, short beard, mustache. Beautiful smile. He looked amazing. I watched him for a while..he looked familiar..looks like the guy I saw a few weeks ago when went out with Mark...the one I couldn't take my eyes off (Long haired guy, not Mark). He didn't pay attention at first, hanging out with some friends. Thought he might be with the woman, then I noticed him watching me, too. Unbelievably came right over to talk to me. We spoke for a few minutes. Very nice, polite, sexy posh accent and voice. Tight ass. Couldn't stop looking at it._

Sirius smiled at the description of himself. Then he read on.

_Couldn't believe he was interested in me. Guapo (as I thought of him since he is so hot) asked me out immediately. Then had to leave with his friends. Bummer. We have a date tomorrow night, though. Will have to go buy new clothes._

_Tuesday, 29 May_

_Oh my god. Had the best.date.ever. He is sweet, funny, kind, extremely handsome. We did nothing fancy, just a picnic, but it was so perfect..very romantic. Talked all evening, about everything. We seem to like a lot of the same things..music, art, similar sense of humor. Rode on a motorcycle for the first time. Got to wrap hands around his waist. Twice..mmm. Amazingly asked me out again for the weekend. Won't be able to concentrate all week on anything else. Forgot to mention his name. Sirius Black. Cool name, right? After the dog star. Matches him well. Then strange thing happened this morning. Heard a noise at the door, and when I opened it, a little owl sat there holding a rose. Had a note from Sirius. How on earth do you train an owl to deliver messages and flowers? Laughed when I saw it, but I loved it. Will have to be very careful around him. Don't want to mess anything up. He is really something special._

_Thursday, 31 May_

_Saw Sirius today again. We had lunch together. Big date is tomorrow night, though. Going to dinner, then to see The Police at a club here in London. Don't know them. Have heard one song, "Roxanne" on Radio 1, though. Should be fun. Sirius' friends are meeting us there, then probably going for pint afterward. He was incredibly hot today. Tight jeans on again..yum. Weather was a bit cool, and he had brown leather jacket on. Dark shirt. Looked amazing on him._

Closing the journal, Sirius put it with the other one he had set aside, to read later. Being transported back to that time had improved his mood tremendously, giving him the opportunity to reminisce and remember what he loved about her initially. He took the objects he had saved and put them in his nightstand next to the bed. Then he set about making lunch.

As he did, he thought of the first time he had seen her. But it wasn't at Regent's Park on that Sunday.


	13. Glimpses, Part II

Sirius had seen Laura for the first time two weeks before the afternoon at Regent's Park, on a day he had been hanging out at the Leaky Cauldron. It was a Friday afternoon, and the place was dead. Only a few other witches and wizards were present in the establishment. He was bored, listening to Tom, the ever present bartender, drone on about the same pet topic he always did, but he really wasn't paying attention. The sole witch in the place, who looked old enough to be his mother, attempted to flirt a few times but he ignored her.

The problem was, Sirius was actually a bit depressed. The feeling hit occasionally, unbidden, but he usually managed to push it away. This occasion, however, he was missing his best friend James, who had recently gotten married. Although Sirius maintained a happy countenance for the newlyweds and was very fond of Lily, James' wife, he knew that things were slowly changing between himself and his friend. So on this particular day, he was engaging in a bit of self pity. He wondered, now and again, if he would ever feel for a woman what James and Lily seemed to have in abundance. He had dated his share of young ladies obviously eager to get to know him better, or at least get physical, but never had much of a connection with them.

Eventually he grew tired of sitting in the dim light, drowning his sorrows, and laid a few galleons on the bar for Tom. He stood up, stretching, and, grabbing his jacket, made his way through the maze of chairs and tables to the door leading out to Diagon Alley. Outside, the weather was still a bit chilly. Early May in London could sometimes go either way. He wrapped his coat more tightly around him and headed down the thoroughfare to wander a bit before going home.

As he aimlessly walked down the small pedestrian street, crowded with wizarding folk, he almost ran right into a young dark haired woman who had come to a screeching halt right in front of him. He managed to move out of the way just prior to plowing her down, and was tempted to make a nasty remark. Then he noticed the expression on her face. She was bewildered, staring at the sign advertising Ollivander's Wand Shop, as if she had never seen a sign before. Sirius rolled his eyes, and stepped exaggeratedly around her, tempted to knock her with his elbow just for being a git who couldn't move out of the way. Stupid girl.

He noticed then that she wasn't dressed like everyone else, but in the trendy muggle fashion of that time. Long brown plaid skirt and high boots. Thin ivory blouse. Brown velour jacket. Very feminine. Her hair was fairly long and was pulled back with a clip. As she looked at him, noticing the contempt in his eyes, he saw that she actually appeared alarmed, almost afraid.

"Something wrong?" he asked, a bit more harshly than he meant to.

Her expression hardened at his comment, and she replied with an acerbic, "_No._" Then she kept walking, away from him and up the street. When she got to the enormous Gringotts Wizarding Bank, she stopped cold again, looking up at it in awe. He had begun to follow her out of curiosity, wondering what would happen next. She just stood there for several minutes, looking the building up and down, with an expression of utter mystification. She watched people milling in and out, then moved closer to the entrance, where burly security trolls stood. This time she moved carefully out of the way of traffic, watching them as if trying to figure them out. Sirius observed her with amusement from a short distance. The trolls were watching, too, but were not impressed at being gawked at for so long. One of them sneered and muttered something to his fellow employee, then they both gave a nasty laugh.

At this, she turned on her heel, walking away quickly, but now in the direction of Knockturn Alley. He continued to follow her, now more out of concern, as it was obvious she had no idea where she was going. She continued to stop at various storefronts, looking with amazement and confusion. One window contained a series of giant spiders in a large cage. They glared menacingly at her, and a few kept hitting the window as if trying to get at her. She hastily moved on to the next one, which boasted a number of animated shrunken heads. These hurled crude insults at her, sticking their tongues out and blowing raspberries. But she couldn't take her eyes off them.

Sirius decided he might ought to step in, as a small crowd of young nasty looking witches and wizards had noticed her and began to head her way, hoping to cause some trouble. He walked confidently over to her, wand visible in his hand, and said quietly, "You'll need to be getting out of here."

The woman looked at him again, surprised at his interruption for the second time, and replied airily, "Don't worry about me."

"Ah, but I _am _worried about you, my dear. You are not in the nicest part of town, you know." He said this lightly, but didn't feel much like challenging the group of people headed their way. He took her elbow, firmly, and led her forcibly away and back to Diagon Alley. She didn't argue after she got a look at who was coming toward them.

Once back in friendlier territory, he announced in front of Florean Fortescue's, "Alright, love, I will buy you an ice cream and we'll talk."

She was indignant. "Buy me an _ice cream_? No thank you," she said sarcastically, wrenching her elbow away. He noticed she had an American accent.

By now Sirius wondered why he had bothered to begin with. But he said politely, "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Obviously not," she said with a hint of irony. She started to walk, looking around for the exit from this place.

He gritted his teeth, and tried again. "How did you get here?"

"Airplane," she responded. Again with the sarcasm. He thought he noticed a gleam of amusement in her eyes, though.

"I mean, _here_!" He was rapidly losing patience.

She finally dropped the sarcastic attitude, and said, "Dunno. What is this, some kind of trendy theme park?" she asked incredulously, looking around again.

He looked shocked. "What on earth do you mean? Are you a witch or _what?" _he asked, exasperated.

"What, like a Wiccan? Of course not!"

He snorted derisively. _"_Are you for real?! I meant, can you do magic?"

Now she really looked amused. "No. I take it you can?" she asked, as if humoring a slow-witted moron.

"Never mind," he answered, offended. "You clearly don't belong here, and I'll show you back up to Charing Cross." She started to protest, but he'd had enough. With the merest flick of his wand, she suddenly had a blank expression on her face, and let him lead her by the elbow away from Florean's without any protest. They walked purposefully, her stride imitating his, back up Diagon Alley past the remaining shops, and into the dark recesses of the Leaky Cauldron.

Still under the influence of his Imperius Curse, which he felt a twinge of guilt about, she followed him like a docile lamb, and he decided at the last minute to sit down with her for a few minutes and figure out how she got into Diagon Alley to begin with.

He pulled out a seat, motioning with his wand for her to sit. She did, immediately. He watched her for a moment, looking more closely at her features. Aside from the characteristic blank expression of the imperiused, she looked alright. In fact, she was rather pretty ... dark hair and eyes. Average height and slender.

"Alright. I'm going to ask you some things and I want you to answer truthfully," he said quietly. She nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Laura Ketron." Her expression didn't change as she answered. "Yours?" she asked politely.

"I'm asking the questions here, Miss Ketron... but my name is Sirius Black..like the star," he replied, amused. "Where are you from?"

"United States."

"Why are you here in England?"

She started to respond, but Tom the barman had come over. "What would you like now, Mr. Black? For the lady?"

"Two butterbeers," he said impatiently, then watched a moment as Tom sauntered back to the bar.

"Alright, why are you in England?" he repeated, leaning closer to her.

"To get away."

"From who?" he asked, intrigued now.

"Everyone." It was a flat response. He wondered what _that _meant.

"How long will you be here?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "I don't know."

He cut to the chase. "Are you a witch?"

A pause, then, "No."

"You're a muggle, then?"

"A what?"

"Never mind. How did you get in here?"

"Here?" She asked, puzzled.

"The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley ..." he prompted.

"I was walking down Charing Cross Road. It was crowded, and I was accidentally pushed against the wall by a crowd of kids going by. Then I noticed it was there."

"Why were you so confused?"

"I'd never seen a wand shop before, or a bank for wizards. Or people dressed like that. Thought it was make believe."

Bloody hell. She had stumbled onto Diagon Alley like Alice in Wonderland. At least it explained why she couldn't help goggling everything she saw. He felt a bit more sympathetic toward her, though it still didn't explain how she had seen it in the first place.

Tom brought over their butterbeers, putting hers on a dainty lace doily which he set down first. Tom tended to overdo things a bit, Sirius thought sardonically. They sipped in silence for a while. He took this opportunity to look closely at her, and she returned his gaze without guile, still under the influence. In fact, she looked him over pretty thoroughly, especially his face. He had the fleeting thought that the Imperius was vastly underrated. He liked being stared at like that. At least by her, for whatever reason. He was a bit tired of women being coy.

Finally, they had finished, and Sirius repeated his earlier move of depositing a few coins on the table. He motioned for Laura to follow him, and they walked out the front entrance back to Charing Cross Road.

"Alright, m'dear, here is where we part." He looked her in the eye. "You won't remember any of this, or me." He made a slight motion with his wand, looking around to make sure no one was watching. "You'll forget about the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. You'll forget everything you saw there. You were just out shopping. Understand?"

She looked at him and silently nodded. He couldn't resist a final move, and bent over, giving her a tiny kiss on the mouth, just for fun. Then he watched her walk away.

He turned around, intending to head back home, but looked over his shoulder at her a few times, worried that the Imperius hadn't really worn off. He decided to follow at a distance to make sure she made it home alright. After that, he would leave and never see her again.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

He walked several steps behind her as she made her way home. She gradually seemed to become more aware of her surroundings as she walked, he was relieved to note. He figured the spell was wearing off, but now he was curious to see where she lived, and continued to walk a short distance away from her. After a half hour or so, Sirius began to wonder how much longer this would take. It seemed he had been walking forever. Soon, though she turned a corner off Old Brompton Road in South Kensington and soon came to a building in Roland Gardens. He stood leaning against a nearby lamppost as she fished for her keys, then entered the building. After she had gone, he stood there in the same spot for several minutes. Then he turned and walked off, hands in his pockets. When he reached a deserted alley, he quickly took his wand out and apparated back home.

Once he arrived home, he thought about her again and how she could possibly have ended up in one of the wizarding areas of London. He felt slightly guilty for his attitude toward her at first, and supposed he had come across as condescending. Oh well ... she didn't remember it now, at least. He had enjoyed how she looked him over so boldly, though he figured she normally wouldn't be so forward. The thought occurred to him that he might like to meet her again, this time under different circumstances.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Throughout the next few weeks, he thought about her randomly, wondering what she was doing in London. Maybe a student? He didn't have a clue.

Then on Saturday, two weeks after his initial encounter with Laura, Sirius had made plans to join James and Lily at a local pub, The Rose and Crown. Or maybe it was the Crown and Rose? He couldn't remember. He had finished getting ready a bit early, then suddenly had the absurd notion of apparating close by where Laura lived in hopes of bumping into her again. He decided he must be crazy to think of her, but something about the woman fascinated him. Maybe it was just that she was a muggle, or the accent he was unused to; he couldn't put his finger on it. He stood, looking absently out the window, then made up his mind.

A few minutes later, he was standing in the empty alleyway in South Kensington where he had been the previous day. He took a quick look at his surroundings; nobody had seen him. Emerging from the dark space, he turned the corner back in the direction of her flat. Unfortunately he was out of ideas at this point. It didn't matter, anyway. A young man happened to be exiting the building just now, followed by Laura, in a long flowing printed skirt and matching blouse. Sirius watched, now a bit dejected, as they turned and walked down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. At least they weren't holding hands, though the man tried to put a hand on the back of her waist. She was friendly with him, but didn't seem to encourage this. He could hear snippets of their conversation as they strolled along in the twilight.

Sirius looked at his pocket watch; still a bit early to meet James and Lily. He felt like a desperate fool, but he followed along behind them for a bit, to see where they went. Eventually they came into an area with various eclectic restaurants and shops, and entered a place that served Thai food. He stood outside the restaurant, contemplating what to do, then decided, _to hell with it_. He left for the pub.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"So, Padfoot, how's it going?" James had to speak loudly to be heard above the din in the pub.

Sirius shrugged. "Same as always. You'll be at the Order meeting tomorrow evening?" He cringed as someone bumped into him at the crowded bar.

" 'Course," James replied.

Sirius nodded and looked around. "Where's Lily?"

"In the loo," James said. "Here you go," he said, handing Sirius a freshly poured beer.

"Thanks, mate."

They trawled around with their drinks looking for an empty table. Spying a couple getting ready to leave, they stood close by and slid into the seats immediately when the others left.

"Hey Prongs, think I could borrow your invisibility cloak sometime?"

James looked wary. "Sure ... what for?"

"I hate to say," Sirius answered wryly.

"Oh, out with it," James said, taking a sip of beer.

"I ran into this really ... _bizarre _girl last week. In Diagon Alley. Thought I would try to meet her properly."

James stared at him, confused. "Um, just _how_ would an invisibility cloak help with that? And what's so strange about her?"

"She was a muggle wandering around Diagon Alley. Had no idea where she was going. We talked for a few minutes. Never mind about the cloak, though. Bad idea."

"So you've already met then?" James asked, ignoring for the moment the anomaly of a muggle in wizard territory.

"Yes, but I had to do a -" he paused, "memory modification charm on her when I took her out of there." He hated to mention their verbal sparring and subsequent Imperius curse. "Now I don't know how to start over. Don't know where she works or anything."

At this point Lily had walked up and taken a seat next to James. "Hello, Sirius!" she said cheerfully. He returned the greeting.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked. James slid her beer over. "Thanks, darling," she added.

"Well," James said pompously, "Padfoot here has met a _woman._ I guess he forgot all his old tricks ... he's asking me for advice."

"Really?" Lily asked, interested. "Anyone I know?"

Sirius shook his head. "Nah, it's a muggle. Can't think of a good way to meet her properly. Would I be a bad person to spy on her for a bit?"

"Um, yes!" Lily said indignantly just as James started to shake his head. She glanced at James, disgusted.

"Well, how else am I supposed to meet her?" Sirius demanded irritably. "She'll think I'm a real nutter if I just walk up to her on the street."

Lily thought as she sipped her beer. "Well... if you were really indiscriminate, you could plant an idea in her head of where to meet you, then make her forget she spoke to you that time. But that would be too complicated." She shrugged, dismissing this notion. Then she said, "Where does she live? Do you know that much?"

"Yes, South Kensington," Sirius said, remembering that she was probably still on her date right now. "Actually, I know where she is right this minute."

Lily observed him suspiciously, and said, "So ... where?"

"On a date at the Pad Thai place down the road from where she lives."

"Merlin's Beard, Sirius. You've gone to a lot of trouble already! Must be some woman." Lily teased him, but in reality she was eager for him to find someone he could be interested in. "Especially if she's on a date with another man," she added.

"Well," James spoke up, "going looking for a bizarre muggle sounds more interesting than spending the evening in this place. Finish your pints and we'll move on."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius wasn't terribly familiar with the area around South Kensington, so they apparated back to the spot where he had done so before, then began a stroll through the neighborhood in the direction of the restaurant. He was afraid she wouldn't even be there now, but figured this was as good a chance as any to find out more information.

Once they got to the restaurant, the area was busier with crowds of people spilling over the sidewalks and bright lights everywhere. They entered the establishment where she had gone and waited on the maitre'd. Sirius immediately looked around for her. After several seconds of scanning the place, which was filled to capacity now, he saw her. Nudging James, he motioned his head, and said, "There she is." James looked over in her direction, then back, saying neutrally, "Looks nice."

Lily craned her neck to get a better look. "Oh yeah...let me watch for a mo' and I'll tell you how into that guy she is."

"Using what spell?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Spell, my arse. I'm a woman. It should be obvious!" she retorted.

Finally someone came over. "Table for three? Might be a while." he stated.

James flicked his wand slightly and said, "Yes, well, we'd like to sit next to _that _table." He pointed in the direction of the muggle in question and her hapless date.

"Certainly. Give me a moment and we'll get you taken care of."

They stood a minute more as a new table was dragged over next to Laura's with three chairs. "Pays to be a wizard, doesn't it?" Sirius whispered.

They were led to the table. Lily sat facing the woman, directing Sirius to sit next to her and James opposite them.

"And why can't I look?" James asked cheekily.

"Because _Sirius_ wants to look, and I am checking her out for other reasons," Lily said patiently.

Soon a waiter appeared with menus and took their drink orders. The other couple was in the middle of dessert at this point, and Sirius figured they didn't have much time to do anything. Soon Laura stood and walked to the back of the restaurant, apparently to the restroom. Lily rose abruptly, and said, "Be right back."

Sirius sat anxiously with James while the two women were gone. In a few minutes, Lily strode back to their table, Laura to hers.

"Gotcha covered, mate," she said, her voice soft but triumphant.

"What did you do?" Sirius asked dubiously.

"Told her to go to Regent's Park tomorrow afternoon. She's not that into the date, either, by the way. He sounds thick as two short planks."

"How did you figure all this out?"

Lily sighed. "Well, I used a teensy little Imperius on her," she admitted.

"What, another one?!" Sirius exclaimed.

She looked askance at him. "Merlin, you didn't use one on her, did you? I was just joking! Poor lady!" Lily now looked extremely abashed.

They peered over at Laura, who at least appeared to be none the worse for wear. Just then, she looked up at their table and her eyes fixed on Sirius. She watched him intently for several seconds, the way she had at their first meeting. He couldn't stop looking at her either. Her date turned around in irritation, wondering who she was staring at so blatantly. Upon seeing Sirius looking closely back at her, he shot him a nasty look. Sirius couldn't have cared less.

The date motioned for her to go, and she rose reluctantly. As the couple passed their table, her eyes were still fixed on Sirius and she suddenly gave him a sweet smile. Then she and the man were gone.

"What did you _do_, Lily?" Sirius asked, impressed.

Lily shrugged modestly. "Ah, just a few little charms. Told her you had seen each other a few weeks ago and couldn't take your eyes off each other. You know, just planted a seed. Then happened to mention that I was sitting with a very hot eligible man, just for good measure. _Then_ I told her _she_ was planning to be at Regent's Park tomorrow at the Boating Lake, two-ish. Weather should be beautiful." She calmly took a sip of the drink the waiter had just brought.

"So...looks like you're all set, Padfoot," she added, then lifted her glass. "Cheers, guys." They joined in her toast.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

This reminiscence was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Sirius waited cautiously until he heard his wife calling out a greeting, then he walked into the room where she was putting her things down.

"Hello darling, how's everything?" she asked, reaching out to kiss him. He surprised her by taking her in his arms and holding her close to him. Then he touched her face and kissed her back, tenderly.

"Well, this _is _nice. What brought it on?" she teased, enjoying being held.

Sirius decided to be straight with her. "I've been reading your old diaries. The one from 1981, in particular. Though '79 was a close second."

Good, she didn't appear angry, anyway.

"Oh ... well, that must have been a real yawner," she said casually. Then, she thought a minute, and said, "_Oh._"

"You never told me," he said, his voice suddenly unsteady.

She was silent, then gave a slight shrug. "I hadn't thought about it in a long time," she said softly. "Anyway, doesn't matter now. We're together again. Let's change the subject."

He kissed her again, more slowly. "I have something to tell you."

"Mmmm...what?" Laura asked, relishing the closeness while being held.

"How we met for the first time."

She laughed. "Well, I don't ever get tired of thinking about that. I haven't quite forgotten it yet!"

"No, I mean the _actual_ first time we met. In Diagon Alley."


	14. Fallen Leaves and Snowflakes

"I'm going to give you two choices. Either you can tell me everything you know, or I will be forced to involve the Ministry of Magic, which maybe I ought to have done to begin with." Dumbledore's eyes bored into me as I sat in the chair directly across from his enormous desk, feeling like a recalcitrant child about to receive dentention. It was Monday morning, the first day of November, and the day after Sirius had broken into Hogwarts and attacked a painting outside the Gryffindor common room.

I decided to try the evasive approach first, hoping I would have a sudden brainwave enabling me to escape this situation and not get Sirius into any more trouble than he was already in. Of course I didn't want the Ministry involved, both for James' sake as well as Sirius' and mine.

"I had absolutely no idea he would try to get into the Gryffindor dormitories last night. When I saw you this morning it was the first I'd heard of it." Well, it was a start, anyway.

"You've been in contact with him?" he asked, still staring me down. I averted my eyes, thinking about what Sirius had said about him. He was an expert legilimens and, though I knew a few basic principles of occlumency, I would be hopeless at repelling any mind reading, if he chose to do that. A few other thoughts were racing through my mind at the same time. If I did tell him what I knew, maybe he would be inclined to actually help us. It was a real long shot, but I figured I could maintain a better relationship with Dumbledore by being more open from now on, and ultimately it might help Sirius. I hoped, at least.

I took a deep breath. "Yes." I wasn't about to tell him about the dog, and decided to keep the facts about our contact to a minimum. "I have seen him."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair a little. "But he didn't tell you he would be planning an attack here?"

He still watched me closely.

"No, he said nothing about it when I, er, saw him." Better to make it sound as though it was a one-time thing, I thought. "But I know why he did it."

His eyebrows raised. "Well, I would say _everyone_ knows why he broke in."

"Actually, I think nobody has any idea. He's not after Harry." I mentally crossed my fingers that he would believe what I was about to tell him.

"Who else could he possibly want?" The professor asked dubiously, now leaning toward me again.

"Peter Pettigrew." I paused to let this sink in and examine his expression. He didn't disappoint. He looked at me in shock, that I could even say such a thing. Then he fiddled with a few items on his desk, clearly wondering how to respond to this statement.

"Laura, I think you know that Peter Pettigrew is long dead," he said after a moment. "I'm sorry, but Sirius is lying to you. He wants someone on his side. It isn't possible."

"Oh no, it's possible," I maintained stubbornly. He took a deep breath, perhaps thinking that he was dealing with someone slightly unhinged.

"Explain it to me, then," he said patiently.

"The thing is, Pettigrew is an animagus. He can turn into a rat."

Dumbledore actually laughed, uncharacteristically. "Well, I'll say that's certainly original. Let me ask you, did you ever _know _Peter?"

"Are you going to let me tell this or not?" I didn't care if I offended him. Damned if he wouldn't hear my side of it, though.

He appeared resigned. "Alright. Go on."

"Thank you," I answered, a bit sarcastically. I thought of telling him how long Pettigrew had been an animagus, but that might entail talking about Sirius' own ability in that area. I played it safe and moved forward several years.

"Well, beginning with James and Lily ... Sirius was originally the secret keeper for them when they were forced to go into hiding. But you know that already. What you didn't know, I'm sure, is that they changed to Peter at the last minute." I paused to check his reaction, which was carefully blank.

"Anyway, Sirius arranged to check on Peter, who was to go into hiding. Sirius had warned me at the time that we might need to go away for a bit, but I never knew much about the Order and all that. I guess, thinking I was a muggle, he was trying to protect me or something, since I couldn't have really helped. But the point is, he was going to get us away from Voldemort. But when he went to check on Peter in _his _hiding place, he was missing. No sign of him anywhere. Sirius started to panic about James and Lily, and went to their house. Of course, found it in ruins and them dead. He saw that other guy ..." I couldn't think of his name.

"Hagrid," Dumbledore prompted.

"Yeah, and tried to get Harry. He would have brought him to me." I was getting teary-eyed while I spoke now. "He left and went to find Pettigrew. He wanted to kill him. And he did find him, on that street. Pettigrew started screeching about _how could Sirius have killed them_, really put on a show. Then, as Sirius drew his wand, Peter used his behind his back and caused the explosion. The last Sirius saw of him was turning into a rat and headed down a storm drain. Until he saw a paper this past summer in Azkaban of a family who had won a trip to Egypt. One of the kids was holding a rat. It was Peter."

"Then Sirius escaped? How?" Dumbledore seemed to be humoring me more than anything, but at least he was listening.

"I never found out," I answered vaguely. I couldn't really say anymore about that.

"So you're saying Peter Pettigrew is living here at Hogwarts with a student ... as a rat?" Obviously he didn't believe me.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. If Sirius could catch Peter, then he would be free."

The professor sighed. "Well, I have to give him points for originality."

"Who? Sirius or Peter?"

He chuckled a little at this, then sobered. "Sirius, of course. Peter was blown to bits. It's a known fact. All they found was -"

"A finger. Yes, I know. I forgot to mention, Sirius said Pettigrew cut it off right before all this other stuff happened on that street."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'd say Sirius has all his bases covered. I suppose he's had plenty of time in prison to come up with this story."

"You mean to tell me," I said, now angry at this latest injustice, "that you aren't willing to check this out and see if it _might _be true? How hard could that be?"

He ignored my tone. "Laura, how may I say this? Peter Pettigrew was _not _an accomplished wizard. He barely passed his OWLs and I don't remember him receiving any NEWTs either. He most likely got through school cheating off James and Sirius, and followed them around like a puppy dog all seven years. He was not exactly a great thinker. And certainly not intelligent enough to pull off something like what Sirius told you."

"Or maybe he was an expert at fooling people," I snarled, rising out of my chair. I began to leave, but turned and said, "I know Sirius much better than you. If my husband says Pettigrew did it, then he _did_. I don't care what anyone else thinks."

He watched me walk out of the office, and said nothing more.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I strode out of the castle, furious. Furious at Dumbledore, for not even considering that Sirius could be innocent. Angry at Sirius himself, for doing something so foolish and dangerous that he could have immediately been sent back to Azkaban, and frustraed at myself for my inability to help.

I was also worried. Since the attack the previous night, Sirius hadn't come back home as he usually did in the early mornings. I wondered where he could be, and hoped he would be at home when I got there. The thought also occurred to me that Dumbledore might have me watched by some magical means. At least, if Sirius stayed a dog, he had a much greater chance of being safe still.

Passing the gatehouse, I walked on forlornly toward Hogsmeade. It was a Monday morning and the only sound around me was of birds chirping. Every so often, I would hear a noise of leaves crunching and turn my head, thinking it might be Sirius. But apparently, it was just squirrels playing on the forest floor.

On the other side of me was the lake which people said contained a giant squid. I doubted this considerably, but remembered that I had seen much stranger things than that in my limited time in the wizarding world. I found a grassy area overlooking the water, and took a short break, sitting down in the damp grass and not caring if I got wet. I searched the surface of the water idly, wondering if this squid might flash a tentacle above the water to prove its existence, but things were quiet out there. Finally, I got up and dusted myself off, setting back on the path to Hogsmeade and home.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Throwing my wand down on the nearest table, I walked into the house. I shut the door quietly behind me, and went into the kitchen. I really wanted a drink, but it was way too early for that. Still morning, actually. My growling stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten any breakfast, so I poured a bowl of cereal and filled it with milk, and stood against the counter munching on it. I opened the latest Daily Prophet, which had already run a full page report of the attack at Hogwarts the previous night. Too depressed to read it, I shoved it aside and continued eating. Lost in thought, I looked up suddenly and there was Sirius, standing in the exact location where I had seen him the first time in years.

"You really like to startle me, don't you?" I said quietly, finishing my bowl and placing it in the sink. I wasn't sure what to say. He looked a bit fragile, even broken.

"You know what happened, I presume?" he said flatly.

"Well, yes, I just left from being questioned by Dumbledore about it," I responded without emotion, and he looked even worse, if that were possible. Any ill feelings I may have had toward him vanished. I knew how badly he wanted to capture Pettigrew.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," I said softly, as if that made a difference.

"_You're _sorry? After what I put you through?" he asked helplessly.

"For what it's worth, I told Dumbledore about Pettigrew. I tried to say as much as possible without causing you more problems. You know, Padfoot and all. I didn't tell him about that."

"Didn't believe you, I suppose?" His tone was cynical, his face cast downward.

"No." I couldn't think of anything to make that better.

"Laura, I'm going to have to leave. I can't risk exposing you to the Ministry. I think you know they aren't exactly ... reasonable where I'm concerned. I won't do that to you." He looked desperately at me.

I stood there in silence. I supposed it would be easier in that respect. Before I said anything, though, he went on.

"I can't be a real husband to you. I feel like a ghost. A living ghost. This is just how it's going to be for me. Spending my life running or in prison. I have to accept that." He spoke so softly I could barely hear him.

I walked over to him and put my arms around him. He was still so thin, and looked miserable. I studied his face, touching it with my hands.

"I was so close," he whispered. "It was the perfect time ... no kids around. But that fat cow wouldn't let me through." I had never seen him cry, but he seemed dangerously near to tears now.

"Listen to me," I said. "You are my husband, and we belong together. We've spent too many years apart because of that miserable excuse for a person, and one or both of us will catch him. If it's the last thing we do. I am not going to be apart from you anymore. You are a good man, and you deserve to be happy. This can be done ... I know it.

"And who knows ... maybe I at least put a little bit of doubt in Dumbledore's mind. But I absolutely do _not _want you to leave here. Stay Padfoot whenever possible and we'll be alright. Please?" I kissed him softly and gave him a reassuring smile. His eyes were on mine, and I felt that my words had helped him, at least a little.

We held each other close as he sighed deeply. "I love you, Laura. My sweet wife. If you think we'll be alright, I'll stay ... for now, at least."

"Good, because I wouldn't have let you go," I said, kissing him lightly again. "Hungry?"

He said nothing, but nodded. I was still a bit hungry myself, and decided to go ahead with an early lunch.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The following weeks passed without incident, though Sirius had never quite gotten over his failure to apprehend Pettigrew. He still moped around the house and went out at night as Padfoot on a regular basis. It seemed now that he wasn't meeting the cat as much as he wanted to escape from his own demons.

My lessons with Dumbledore resumed, amazingly. I had thought the professor might refuse to teach me after our previous confrontation, but he went on with things, introducing me to a few other teachers, who regarded me curiously but accepted me. Professor McGonagall, for one, who taught transfiguration. One Professor Sprout, herbology teacher, a very sweet lady. And then there was a lank haired, thin, unpleasant potions instructor named Snape. Sirius had mentioned him years before. The name fit him very well, I thought, after leaving the potions room, having been thoroughly insulted for the entire hour. He reminded me of a snake, frequently narrowing his eyes to slits when he wanted to point out any mistakes I made. Which were plentiful, considering it was my first time in there, and he wasn't remotely helpful about showing me where supplies were, or how to light the cauldron with my wand. In fact, he treated me like a complete moron, and pounced on my last name, making sure to emphasize "Black" every time he referred to me.

"_So, Mrs. _Black_, you are how old and don't know any magic?" _

"_Are you, by chance, related to that pitiful excuse for a student James _Black_, whom I have had the misfortunate of attempting to teach this term? He looks a great deal like the mass murderer Sirius Black, wouldn't you say? Poor child."_

"_And you are married to a _Black_? Do you know Sirius Black, then? You must be related to him, somehow."_

After ten minutes of this mockery, I decided I wouldn't be back to continue potions anymore. I didn't know how the students stood him, and I worried that he might abuse James roundly, though James' letters said nothing about him or his class. I thought of talking to Dumbledore about him, but didn't wish to make things worse for James.

Lupin, however, still remained pleasant. Unfortunately, he was absent for almost an entire week of November from my lessons with him; I was sure this was due to the full moon. But when I inquired about his health upon seeing him again, he brushed it off and smiled, acting as if it were nothing.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

One evening in early November, Sirius returned home absolutely bedraggled and soaking wet. It had been a miserable day full of storms and wind, but he was in remarkably good spirits.

"What on earth have you been doing?" I asked, jaw dropping upon seeing him.

"Oh, I've just been to a Quidditch match," he exclaimed, hugging me and giving me a kiss, getting me soaking wet in the process.

"Holy shit, they play Quidditch in this mess?" I looked anxiously outside, where the weather hadn't improved a bit.

"Oh yes, they've played in worse than this. All the students still go," he rummaged around the kitchen for something to eat. Finding a box of cheese biscuits, he grabbed a handful and began munching on them.

"Did James' house play?" I asked, hoping James had sense enough to stay inside on a day like this.

"Yes, they did. Saw him, too. Sitting next to a _girl. _They lost, unfortunately. Harry was playing, and those damned dementors showed up. He fell off his broom and had to go to the hospital wing." His commentary grew less cheerful as he recounted this.

"Oh no! Was he alright?" I asked, taking a few of his biscuits and popping them in my mouth.

"Yes, I think so. Pomfrey can sort out just about any injury. I'm sure he'll be okay. Broom's not, though."

"What happened to it?"

"Well, when Harry fell, the broom hit the Whomping Willow, which promptly whacked it to pieces." He looked thoughtful. "I've been thinking all the way back. I'd really like to get him another one ... just not sure the best way to do it."

"Well," I said, "James and I forgot to get his while we were in London, and the guy at the owl office here told me to send a request to have the funds taken out of our vault, then the owl sends it on to that Quality Quidditch Supply place."

He smiled at me indulgently. "Yes, darling, I know how to do it. It's just that, obviously, I don't want him to know it's from _me_."

I rolled my eyes and grinned at him. "Just trying to help. Why don't you let me do it, though? I can tell them to make it anonymous; surely they'll do that, won't they?"

"I think that will work," he said, growing more animated. "I've been wanting to do something special for him. I think this will be perfect! Tell them to send it at Christmastime."

I was pleased to see him in such a good mood. "Want to take a bath?" I asked, gesturing to his sodden appearance.

"Sounds good!" he kissed me again. "Care to join me?" he added softly.

"Of course," I teased. "I could use one now," indicating my own wet clothing.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The rest of the month passed rather uneventfully. Dumbledore didn't mention Sirius in my presence again, though I still felt that I was being observed closely, and lessons with the other instructors went alright. I was becoming more accomplished, gradually, and I had gained much confidence since I had moved here. Sirius was a huge help. With the weather growing colder and frequently snowy, we spent more time indoors practicing. Doing spells out of doors was mostly out of the question anyway; it would have been too risky for him to transform even in the forest at this point. He still went out some nights to meet with the cat, but had nothing newsworthy to report back about Pettigrew so far.

By December, Sirius and I were talking about how to handle James when he returned home for the holiday. We couldn't decide whether to try to tell him about Sirius' innocence or if he should just remain Padfoot, though we knew the sensible thing to do would be for him to remain the dog. I also asked him for advice on what to get an eleven year old boy for Christmas, thinking Sirius would have better ideas, at least in the wizarding department. I relegated myself to purchasing the boring stuff such as clothing. Eventually he came up with a list of things James might find interesting, written in his flowing script. Most were items from Zonko's, which I knew James would like, remembering how he had lingered in the joke shop in London earlier in the year.

I was torn, though, about what to get Sirius. I had seen one coat which I knew would look lovely on him, but it wasn't exactly something he could use at this point. I spent a few afternoons browsing around Hogsmeade looking for other presents, finally settling on a few things. One in particular caught my eye, and I made special arrangements for it.

Excited at the thought of seeing James again soon, I spent a whole morning cleaning up his room. We had passed letters a few times in the last month but I was sorely missing him. He had made a comment regarding Sirius' appearance in the castle, believing, along with everyone else, that Sirius was after Harry. I didn't mention it when I wrote back. I figured it was best to address that when I saw him in person.

On Friday, the week before Christmas, I walked back to the village center to pick up the remainder of items for our Christmas celebration. It had snowed overnight, and the ground was thick with powder. I had procured a tree, and Sirius and I were planning to decorate it that evening, which I was immensely looking forward to. The item which I had ordered was finished, and I looked at it lovingly, sure Sirius would be happy with it. I paid for it and left, realizing it must be another weekend visit for the Hogwarts students. Most had recently arrived and were milling around in the cold air and stomping their feet in the snow. I walked past them, toward the Three Broomsticks, intending to get a few butterbeers to take home for Sirius and myself. I was just about to open the door, when a boy came flying out, almost knocking me down. He strode past me, with two friends frantically calling out to him, but he kept moving. It was Harry.

Once I realized who he was, I kept staring at him as he walked away. Suddenly he turned around to say something to his friends, and noticed me. His cheeks were flushed with the cold, and he regarded me with a look of puzzlement, then dawning comprehension, moving on to revulsion. As I tried to process this inexplicable behavior, he turned on his heel and walked away, then stopped again, looking at me once more. I glanced around to be sure it was really me he was seeing, then before I knew it he was back in front of me, flanked by his obviously confused friends. One of whom had red hair, I noticed with a shock. The kid in the picture. With the rat. But before I had time to react, Harry turned to his friends and asked, none too nicely, if they could leave us for a few minutes.

They seemed all too happy to oblige, and wandered away to a safe distance, muttering back and forth wondering what was going on.

Harry stood heaving in front of me, but not from exertion. He seemed to be somewhere between shock and outrage.

"Can I help you?" I asked helplessly. I couldn't understand what he would want with me.

"Yes. You're married to _him_, aren't you?" He was close to shouting.

"Can we move somewhere more ... out of the way?" I asked, feeling a chill unrelated to the cold. I had no desire to discuss my marriage here.

"No! What's wrong with here?" He seemed to be growing more upset and antagonistic by the moment, and his friends, standing several meters away, were looking extremely worried.

"Harry -" I began, "can you come back to my house where it's warm, at least? We can talk there."

"Know my name, do you? Oh yeah, let's do. That's probably where you're keeping _him,_ anyway." I looked away; he had hit it right on the head.

I sighed. "Come with me ... please."

I hoped like hell that I could alert Sirius to transform before Harry was able to get in the house, and grew more nervous as we approached the house. At the front door, I unlocked it, and shouted immediately, "Snuffles! We have company!"

"That your pet name for him?" Harry asked contemptuously. He still appeared very upset.

"It's my dog," I answered patiently. I pretended to have trouble opening the door, but finally did so. Nobody was around, thank God. We walked in, Harry shutting the door loudly behind him, and looking wildly around the place. Fortunately I had no pictures of Sirius hanging around in view, which I figured would upset him even more.

"Harry, won't you have a seat?" I asked nervously. He shook his head, still glaring at me.

"You _are _married to Sirius Black, aren't you?" he spat the words out.

I opened my mouth to reply, when suddenly Padfoot came bounding down the stairs, looking closely at Harry and me.

Harry started upon seeing him. "He- he was at the Quidditch match!" He had temporarily forgotten his anger in seeing the dog.

"Yeah, that's Snuffles," I said as the dog came over to me and sat protectively by me.

"Harry, how do you know me?" I asked curiously. I wanted to get that out of the way first.

He looked me over angrily. "I have a picture of my parents. _He's _in it, too. So are you. You were holding hands, and you had a ring on your finger. Looked like you were married to me." He gestured to the ring I now wore, which was the same one.

I didn't try to deny it. "We are married. We were married when your mother was pregnant with you."

"So, in that case, you must know what he did to my parents!"

Looking helplessly at the dog sitting next to me, I turned to Harry and said, "I know what everyone _says._"

"Well, what they _say _is that he betrayed them to Voldemort. And now he wants to finish me off!" Harry looked around apprehensively, suddenly realizing that it might not be a good idea for him to be alone here with me.

"How did you know me?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well," I said, "I used to know your father fairly well. You look very much like him."

"Did _you_ plan his murder as well?" he said scornfully.

"No, and neither did Sirius," I answered firmly.

"Right. Care to tell me who did?"

"Not at all. It was Peter Pettigrew," I said.

He looked at me with disdain. "The one who was blown up? Try again."

I did. "He wasn't blown up at all. He's still alive." I desperately wanted him to believe me, but knew in my heart it was hopeless.

"I take it you've seen Black?" he sneered the name.

"No ... I haven't. Haven't seen him in twelve years." I was a lousy liar, and looked away, hoping Harry wouldn't pick up on this.

"Haven't heard from him at all?" His tone was still belligerent. "Well, then, how do you - " He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

I went to answer it, grateful for the intrusion, since I realized I was backing myself into a corner. I couldn't know about Pettigrew unless I'd talked to Sirius.

When I opened it, Harry's two friends stood there, nervously eyeing me. "Um ... Harry still here?" the girl asked tentatively.

"Yes ... come in," I said. They were frozen to the spot, though.

Harry said, "Never mind, I'm leaving." He strode out the door, with his mates looking apologetically after me as they followed.

I stood there for a moment, then closed the door firmly.


	15. Da Mi Basia Mille

**This chapter rated 'M' for sexual situations. **

The moment I closed the door, I realized I had forgotten something important. I heaved it open again, and yelled after Harry and his departing friends. He turned around, glaring at me. I knew it was a very bad time to be bringing this up, but I had to ask him something.

I ran over to him and his friends. "Could I please ask you one thing, Harry?"

"Ask me _what?" _he demanded. He was still obviously very upset by whatever had happened in the Three Broomsticks. I thought of asking him, but didn't think he would be any more willing to talk to me.

"Look, I, uh -" I stopped, not knowing how to say this. "I'm so sorry to bother you with this, but, um, I have a son who goes to Hogwarts. He's a first year."

His eyes narrowed as he realized who I was talking about. "Oh ... James Black, right? In Gryffindor? I wondered about him." Padfoot had come up behind me, and Harry stared at him once again, with a look of unease.

"Um, well, _none _of this has anything to do with James. It's not exactly common knowledge who his father is. And I'm afraid that, if anyone finds out, that it could make things very hard for him. He doesn't deserve that."

He snorted. "So I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut about you? You mean to tell me the Ministry knows nothing?" he asked sarcastically. "They might be really interested to hear about this; the man who _betrayed my parents_ on the loose, and his wife just _happens_ to live in Hogsmeade?"

"It's not for me ... I don't care. But James needs to be able get a good education without being harassed because of who his dad is. He never even knew him. Please ... do you think you could keep it to yourselves, just for his sake ... for now, anyway?" I looked at all three of them, pleading silently that they understood.

He said nothing, but once again turned on his heel and left, his friends trailing behind him. I couldn't exactly blame him for that, when he believed Sirius was capable of such horrendous things.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The unfortunate incident with Harry put a damper on our tree trimming, but we still went ahead with it. I fondly remembered the last Christmas we had spent together, when Sirius had enchanted the tree to simulate snow falling on it. I asked him to make it happen again, which he did with pleasure. I had also bought some things in Hogsmeade this year which we added to the tree. A miniature train magically wound its way around the branches, with tiny puffs of smoke coming out of the engine and little peeps from its whistle. A little choir of angels on one of the branches sang a chorus whenever anyone walked past. A tiny baby doll laid nestled in a blanket on one of the limbs, and said, "I wuv you," periodically. After ten minutes of this, though, Sirius pointed his wand at it in annoyance, and it was silent thereafter. I suspected he would have enjoyed making it explode, but refrained out of courtesy, since I had been the one to purchase it.

James' room was cleaned up and we were both anxious to see him. He would be home the following day at end of term and stay with us until the beginning of January. Sirius and I had planned out our strategy. Which wasn't much of one, really. He reluctantly agreed to stay Padfoot, or Snuffles as I was now calling him if anyone was around. At night, he would retire to bed with me, and I would secure the door, at which point he was free to transform back to a man.

That afternoon, I hesitantly walked back out to the center of Hogsmeade again, intending to buy James a few more things. I had already placed the order for Harry's Firebolt on behalf of Sirius, and hoped it would reach him in time for Christmas. I wasn't too worried, though. Wizards and their ilk seemed to be very punctual.

A few stragglers from Hogwarts remained as I opened the door to Zonko's, list in hand. I peered around a few corners anxiously; I didn't want to run into Harry again. But he must have returned to the castle by now. The students hanging around were in good spirits, knowing they would be returning to their homes the next day and within the week would be opening all their loot. I looked around, unfamiliar with most of the things Sirius thought James would like. Finding a few items, I eyed them dubiously, mothering instincts kicking in at all the possible hazards associated with them. I bought them anyway, reluctantly.

Twilight was emerging as I left the shop headed for home. One thing I liked about Hogsmeade was how the residents loved to decorate for the holidays. Every tree in the village had enchanted candles floating around them, lit softly, and a local choir was bundled together off the square, singing carols with gusto. It was turning out to be the best Christmas I'd had in years, despite what had happened earlier in the day, and the ambience lifted my spirits considerably. I walked home, humming the same tune I had just heard, looking forward to seeing my husband.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius and I had abandoned spontaneity for the evening. We wanted to have a special night alone, our last one for a few weeks. While I was out, he began preparing a nice dinner and we had agreed to dress up a bit for the occasion. As I walked in the door, he greeted me and took off my coat, immediately handing me a glass of wine. The fragrant aroma of bread and roast meat was prevalant and my stomach growled loudly in response to it.

"Mmmm ... that smells _good,_" I said, breathing it in with a practically orgasmic sigh.

"You _look _good," he said softly, coming up behind me and taking my breasts in his hands, kissing my neck. "Dinner can wait."

I smiled as he continued to touch me. "But I'm not even dressed for dinner," I teased him.

"Well, I'll _undress_ you," he whispered, "and at some later time, I'll dress you again. Let's go." He took my hand and we went off to the bedroom. Dinner waited for quite a long time.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Quite a while later, we ate, with nothing but candles illuminating the house. We drank more wine and talked nostalgically about the early years of our marriage, carefully avoiding any mention of how brutally we were parted. We remembered James and Lily, and our friendship with them. Buying Christmas presents for baby Harry, and our own desire to have children.

"You want to have an early Christmas?" I asked him as we sat on the floor, looking at the glittering snowy tree.

"Yes," he said enthusiastically, rising. "Let me get your present."

"How'd you get me anything?" I called after him, and I heard him laugh.

"Sent the kneazle to the owl office, like we talked about before." He returned holding a large box with a single silk ribbon around it, and set it in front of me.

"Next year, I'll get you more," he promised.

I smiled at him. "Doesn't matter. The best one is here in front of me." I kissed him softly.

I reached under the tree where his tiny gift was hidden, and held it out to him.

"You go first," he said.

I was eager to see what he had thought of, and pulled on the ribbon, watching it slide loose from around the box. Then I opened it up, and saw a mound of tissue paper. Moving it aside, I felt luxuriously soft material. I picked up, looking at it. It was a set of robes, but nothing mundane. They were absolutely beautiful, and velvety soft. Deep purple, my favorite colour, with intricate embroidery on the high collar and cuffs. Standing up, I held the garment next to me. The one set I had bought previously was pretty nice, but couldn't compare to _this. _They were absolutely exquisite, and very sexy, if you could consider robes that way.

I sat back down, still touching the fine material. "It's so lovely. I can't wait to try it on!"

"Well, go ahead, then!" he encouraged. "I want to see you in them."

"I'll wait until you've opened yours," I said. "Go on."

He unwrapped the tiny box, lifting the top open. "A wedding ring," he said softly. He took it out, fingering it gently and looking over the intricate detail. It really was quite beautiful, I had to admit.

"Goblin-wrought, they told me," I said proudly, knowing that meant it was the finest quality. I was eager for him to discover something else about the ring, though. He put the thick band on his finger, noting it fit perfectly, then took it back off and examined it once again. This time a small script appeared to float around it, out of thin air. "Da mi basia mille," he read haltingly, "deinde centum, dein mille altera, dein secunda centum ..." He smiled at me. "Latin. What does it mean?" he asked, kissing me.

"Something like 'Give me a thousand kisses, then another hundred, then another thousand, then a second hundred'," I answered, "according to the translation. You get the gist, though?" I said, giving him a nice long kiss back.

"How beautiful," he murmured, putting it on his finger again. "The words are lovely. Did you come up with that?"

I laughed. "Not exactly. It was some Roman, Catallus, who wrote steamy love poetry. I can't really take credit for the inscription idea, either. I read a book a few years ago where a character had done that, and I thought it would be perfect for you."

"You were right. It _is _perfect. Now, show me what you look like in _that._" He pointed to the robes.

I went into the bedroom with them, and opened a few drawers, looking for something in particular. I had a long nightgown, very Greek-goddess, which I thought would compliment it nicely underneath, if I left some of the buttons of the robes undone over it. I found it and put it on. It was a creamy white gown of soft silk with thin straps and an empire waist, and a long length, touching the floor. I slid the beautiful cloak-like robes on over it, and I had to admit, the effect was pretty nice. They fit perfectly, as most wizarding clothing did. It was a feature I wished, not for the first time, that muggle clothing could emulate. I fastened a few buttons right below my breasts but left the rest to flow around the nightgown, apart. I had a delicate choker necklace which I hadn't worn in a while, and thought it would be perfect with them. When I finally looked in my full-length mirror, I was struck again by how beautiful they were. Then I looked in the doorway, where Sirius was leaning against it, watching me. He looked as though he would like to eat me alive.

"So," I said with a mischievous grin, "these are self-cleaning, self-ironing, slenderizing, _and _guaranteed to make my husband want sex, right? Where can I get more?"

He came up in front of me, smiling. "_You _... are so beautiful. How lucky I am."

"Actually, no. I'm the lucky one, to have you back. Want your next present now?"

"Yes, please," he said, taking my hand. "Let's go back in front of the tree."

In the dim light of the flickering candles throughout the room, he laid me down on a soft carpet and pulled me up against him. Taking his wand, he repeated a spell he had used earlier, and enchanted snow began to fall down over us.

"Not too much, I hope?" he asked, gesturing to the snow.

"Oh no, it's perfect, like everything else this evening," I said softly. We continued to kiss as he ran his hands all over the length of my body, then I did the same. We both slowly removed each other's clothing until we were completely naked, just with a thin covering of snow on us, in our hair and on our bodies.

"God, you are the most beautiful man I've ever seen," I said wonderingly as I touched him softly on his chest. It didn't matter to me that he was still thin and gaunt. I brushed a nipple with my finger, which immediately caused him to draw in a breath. I leaned down, flicking my tongue over it, then looked up. "Glad I'm not the only one who likes that," I whispered, then bent back to it, using my tongue again as he grew more excited.

He turned me over on my back, and was suddenly on top of me, sliding his cock into me. He kissed me with abandon as he moved inside me, his beard scratching my chin roughly, though I enjoyed it. Then he was kissing my neck, and I wrapped my legs around him, making him go deeper.

"Stand up," he told me breathlessly. I did, wondering what he wanted. He picked me up and pushed me gently to the wall, lifting my legs around him once again as we stood together. We continued in this manner, which I quickly decided was one of my favorites, for a long time, kissing each other furiously until he came inside me, shuddering with ecstasy.

"My God, that was _good,_" he whispered in my ear, then gave me a piercing look as if he would love nothing more than to go another round. We both clung to each other, breathing heavily, then he put me down so I was now standing against the wall, his arms still around me.

"I love you. Happy Christmas," I said, giving him one more kiss.

"Happy Christmas, darling. I love you, too," he replied softly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

James' arrival home for Christmas lifted our already elevated spirits even more. Sirius was practically walking on air, though he was stuck masquerading as the dog. He stayed with James as much as possible, enticing him to play chase out in the snow and catching balls that James threw to him. James seemed to really enjoy the dog, and, weird as the situation was, I was happy to see them spending so much time together, even if James was ignorant of Snuffles' identity.

On Christmas Eve night, James and I attended a carol service at the tiny church in the village. Sirius stayed home, content to wrap James' presents while we listened to the beautiful songs. When we returned home, the enchanted tree was packed with presents. James looked at it in amazement.

"Those weren't here before!" he exclaimed, running over to it and examining the packages.

"It's magic, honey," I said cheekily, laughing at his exuberance. I was so happy Sirius could see him now. We did all the Christmas-y things, traditions from Sirius' childhood and my own, but really savored just being together as a family, in whatever way possible.

After Christmas, we spent the rest of the week catching up on goings-on at Hogwarts, James' love for Quidditch and his hope of making the team the following year, and which teachers he liked as well as the ones he didn't. Snape wasn't brought up, and I silently worried that James was afraid to mention anything about him before me. Other than that, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time together.

The night before James' return to Hogwarts, I felt a very rare sense of euphoria, as if nothing could ever go wrong with us again. Then a feeling of dread inched its way in, and I remembered, reluctantly, another time I had felt such a sense of complete and utter happiness. It was right before Sirius had been taken away and out of my life twelve years ago.


	16. In Which I Meet Two Weasleys

However jubilant the Christmas holidays were, my and Sirius' moods both plummeted a bit with the absence of James when the next term began. Sirius began worrying over Pettigrew again, forever contemplating the best way to catch him. He seemed reluctant to discuss details with me, but his nocturnal visits to the forest were on the rise again. He would come back early in the mornings, exhausted and ragged. Though he was never really short with me, he became more distracted to the point of obsession with capturing the rat. I had asked him what I could do to help on numerous occasions, only to be brushed off. He seemed to believe I wouldn't be able to do anything, and had no problem telling me that I didn't have enough experience with magic.

I attended Hogwarts as usual, always searching for James and Harry while I was there. Sometimes I saw them in the distance, between classes in a crowd of students, but never up close. My lessons were going as expected, and though I was loathe to refer to myself with the title of _witch_, I was pretty impressed at all I'd learned in the previous months. I was a bit depressed, though. Lessons with my husband, which I had enjoyed much more than at the school, were at a standstill these days.

Unbeknownst to Sirius, however, I had slowly formulated my own plan for the capture of Peter Pettigrew, which had come to me while I was in bed alone one night, Sirius off with the cat. The more I thought of it in the following days, I grew more excited, but afraid it was so easy there must be something wrong with it. But though I tried to consider any possible thing going awry, I couldn't really come up with a reason not to put the scheme in place, if Sirius didn't get to him first. I kept it in the back of my mind, not wanting to do anything rash, and I hoped if there was a potential snag, it would make itself known to me the more I considered it.

Meanwhile, the month of January flew by. I wondered on occasion how Harry was enjoying his Firebolt. I hadn't forgotten what happened at Christmastime with him, and I hoped his holiday hadn't been too bad. In addition, I ached for him, that he realized his parents had been betrayed. I remembered the pain and anguish in his eyes. At least I was confident in the knowledge it wasn't their best friend who had done it.

By the time February arrived, Sirius was gone most nights, apparently scouting around the castle, as far as I knew. I was lonely, having gotten used to sleeping with him around the holidays, and now spent my nights reading boring textbooks on magic and feeling sorry for myself. I knew he was doing what he felt he had to, but I began to wonder if he even missed me. The more I thought about my particular plan of attack on Pettigrew, I was more confident that it could be foolproof. Of course, I told myself it was dangerous to think that way.

On a morning early in February, Sirius still hadn't returned from his nightly Hogwarts visit, and I was anxious to try and capture the rat myself. I couldn't stop thinking about how good things would be if I was successful ... Sirius freed and happy, James with a father who was around all the time, Harry finally with a godfather. Me with a full-time husband. I decided it was going to be zero hour on this day. I gathered some wizard money and set it out with my Hogwarts things.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

On that morning I arrived an hour earlier than usual, and walked into the Great Hall where crowds of students sat eating breakfast. Looking around the Griffindor table, I didn't see James or Harry, but I eventually located the two gentlemen I was seeking. They sat together, both munching on toast and perusing the current Daily Prophet, occasionally trading comments on what they read. I walked over to them and stood for a moment, throwing up a quick prayer that this would actually work.

"Hi guys, mind if I speak to you for a minute?"

Fred and George Weasley looked up at me in unison, surprised that I had singled them out.

"Sure," Fred said. "Have a seat."

I really didn't want to be heard by anyone else, so I said, "Would you mind stepping outside with me for a sec instead? It's a business matter I think you might be interested in. I'm Laura, by the way." I gave them a winning smile.

They looked at each other, intrigued but apparently wary of what a virtual stranger might want with them.

"Sure," George said this time, shrugging. They rose and followed me out of the hall and outside into a courtyard where students were scattered, reading textbooks and goofing off. I led them to a quiet place away from the others and turned to them.

"Sorry to disrupt your breakfast, but I had a...business proposition for you, if you're interested. Might be lucrative." I mentally crossed my fingers.

"What's up?" Fred asked curiously, ears pricked up at the thought of making money.

"Well, it sounds silly, but I have been offered some work on a research project involving, um, aging rats. With Professor Lupin..." I trailed off for a moment, thinking how stupid this sounded, but took a deep breath and rallied on. "Anyway, I've been told you have a really old rat and I wondered if you'd be interested in its participating. You would be compensated, of course." I added this offhand. "And no harm would come to the rat," I threw in, inwardly crossing my fingers again, this time for my huge lie.

Fred and George looked at each other, not bothering to disguise their interest in earning some cash. I got the feeling the rat's welfare didn't rank too high on their list of concerns with this plan.

Before they could say anything, I continued casually. "I get a stipend of two hundred galleons for this study, so I thought I'd split it with you fifty-fifty. If that's alright with you," I tried to look as though I wasn't sure this was enough. The Weasley twins exchanged looks as though they had just won the lottery, and I was the biggest sucker on earth.

"One hundred galleons?! We'll do it!" Fred exclaimed gleefully. George looked ecstatic, then his face fell a little as he evidently remembered something.

"Well, the only thing is, the rat really belongs to our git of a brother, _Ron_." The name was said accusingly, as if the absent Ron was to blame for this snag. He chewed on his lip for a moment, thinking how to get around this. "But I think Scabbers stays in Ron's dormitory all day...he usually doesn't go with him to classes, does he, Fred?"

"Dunno..I never paid any attention to that stupid rat. But we'll find out, posthaste. When do you need him?"

I said, "Well, I really need him as soon as possible. I should have him back to you by this weekend, though. He won't be harmed," I added, then remembered I had already said that. I was probably blabbering.

"And...when would we receive the money?" Fred asked eagerly.

"Oh...just as soon as I get the rat and give him the once-over, you'll get your hundred galleons. Do you think you can get him for me...this morning, maybe?" I prayed this wouldn't be a problem.

George spoke up. "Yeah, we'll go up to our rooms now and see if he's there. Want to go with us?"

I paused, thinking quickly. "Sure, if I'm allowed. Only thing is, study rules stipulate having a cage to put him in, and he needs to stay calm and not be...alarmed. Do you have one?"

George flapped his hand dismissively and said, "No problem. C'mon!"

I followed the boys up seemingly infinite numbers of staircases and, exhaused and puffing, realized I had never seen one overweight student at Hogwarts. Now I knew why.

We eventually stopped at a portrait of a stout little knight with a fat pony. His helmet shield fell down over his face as he said jovially, "Good morrow, gentlemen, good lady! How-"

"Casseopeia!" Fred and George said together loudly.

"And in you get!" The knight exclaimed as the portrait swung open. He continued his ramblings as we ignored him and climbed in. Fred muttered, "If you don't interrupt him, you'll be there all day listening to that crap."

I nodded absently, now extremely nervous at the thought of screwing this up. If the rat got spooked, I was afraid he would escape and never be found. This had to go perfectly.

We walked through the common room and up into the dormitory where Scabbers was expected to be. I realized belatedly that the third Weasley brother might be a little reluctant to give up his rat. I dearly hoped he and Harry Potter, who would be highly suspicious of my presence there, were nowhere to be found. To my relief, however, the dormitory was empty other than us. I stood back while Fred and George strode over to Ron's bed and mussed the covers a bit, searching for the rat. Just when I assumed he was gone, they gave a collective "Ah!" softly, and pointed at the bed. I tiptoed over to it, and looked down at a scruffy looking rat, sleeping like a baby, tiny grunts and snores emanating from him. For a split second, I hated that I was lying to these guys, but then remembering what Pettigrew had done, I got over that pretty quickly.

"Cage?" I mouthed to Fred and George, who looked around the room and, spotting an empty owl cage, went to get it.

"Harry won't mind. Hedwig must be out delivering a piece of mail or something." George whispered.

"I'll have it back soon," I answered softly.

He carefully picked up the cage and brought it over to the bed, and Fred picked up Scabbers, ever so gently, and placed him in the cage as the rat slept through it all. A bloodless coup.

I locked him in triumphantly and murmured, "I couldn't borrow a blanket or something to cover the cage up, could I? Better if he keeps sleeping." I wanted him to have no clue what was going to happen.

"For a hundred galleons, you can have whatever you want!" Fred said with a snicker.

"Oh yeah.." I remembered the money. I dug it out of my pocket and handed it to them. "There you go. Pleasure doing business with you!" _You have no idea how much_, I thought triumphantly.

"Pleasure's all ours," they both said as Fred took the money, eyeing it hungrily.

They followed me down the Griffindor steps and through the common room. "Can you guys show me how to get outdoors from here? I get so mixed up in this place."

"Absolutely! Follow us." We made our way down the myriad stairs and finally back out into the courtyard.

"Guys, thanks again!"

"No problem!" They said together, and practically skipped off, grinning wildly at their good fortune.

I strode purposefully back inside after they had gone and went straight to Remus Lupin. Walking into the Defense classroom, I walked back to Lupin's office, where the door was closed, and knocked loudly.

"Come in," a voice said.

I walked right in holding the cage and didn't waste any time.

"I have a request, Professor."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Certainly."

I went on. "Teach me how to make an animagus transform." I took the cover off the cage and saw his eyes widen in shock.


	17. A Rat and a Confession

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and rights-holders. I make no money from this.**

Remus Lupin quickly regained his composure, first looking at me, then back to the rat.

"Well, if you were going for the element of surprise, you succeeded admirably," he finally said, after several seconds of stunned silence. "How did you find him?"

"So you recognize him?" I asked quietly. He nodded slightly, still flummoxed. The rat was slowly awakening, and we both leaned over the cage, watching him look around in bewilderment. He gradually became more aware of his surroundings in the bright light of the classroom, and finally settled on Remus' face. With a terrified squeak, he scrambled to the other end of the cage, frantically attempting to escape.

Remus said, "Well, Peter," in a light conversational tone, as the scruffy rat continued to squeal madly and gnaw on the cage bars. "I'd know you anywhere."

"What do you think, Professor?" I asked him. He stood up straight, ignoring Pettigrew's frightened squeaks.

"Well, for starters, I'd be very interested to hear about your connection to Sirius Black." _As if I didn't know,_ I figured he was thinking.

"We're married. James is our son," I said simply. "I found out I was pregnant after he was taken away." I shrugged as he gave me a sympathetic look.

"You married him ... when?" he asked.

"March of 1980. We had known each other almost a year."

He looked intrigued. "He never made it known to us in the Order, though we suspected there was something else going on with him. It was one thing that made people a bit suspicious. Certainly a lot of that going around back then."

"Well, I'm not really sure how he managed to keep it that much of a secret. But I was a muggle, as far as anyone knew. Sirius was very protective of me; he never said too much to me about what the Order was doing either. He did a pretty good job of explaining the dangers beforehand, though, so I couldn't say I wasn't warned." I remembered our conversation, and recounted it to Lupin.

_It was December, and we had apparated to a place in Cumbria, the Lake District. A beautiful little hotel, the Wasdale Head Inn, that sat in the shadow of a peak known as Sca Fell. Sirius carried our bags up to the room, grumbling good-naturedly about the necessity of behaving like a muggle in places such as this. After we had settled in, we walked back down to the pub, desiring a few pints and some dinner. _

_As we waited on our food, he leaned over to me. "There are some things I'd like to tell you, and I believe it's time now," he said in a low voice. _

"_You sound so, dare I say, _serious_," I responded, grinning. "What's up?"_

"_Well, it's a few rather important matters I'd like to get out in the open now."_

"_About us?" I was a bit concerned. He seemed really happy with me. Maybe I had been wrong about that._

"_Indirectly, yes," he replied mysteriously. "I haven't told you much about the ... organization that James, Lily and I are in." _

"_No, you haven't, but if you'd like to enlighten me, I'd be happy to listen." I had long been curious and even somewhat envious of the secretive group of which I wasn't allowed to be a part. It hadn't been but a few months since he had actually confided that he was a wizard, and this kind of thing was still very new, and rather unbelievable, to me._

"_That's exactly what I intend to do." He slid into to my side of the booth and I scooted over to make room. Taking my hand and massaging a few fingers absently, he began to tell me the whole story ... of the rise of a dark wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort, who desired nothing less than power over wizards and muggles, and his following of people known as Death Eaters. _

"_Then, we have the Ministry of Magic, who care more about advancing their own agenda than stopping Voldemort. I don't think they would know him if he walked up and introduced himself," he said with a bitter bark of a laugh. _

"_But you, James, Lily ... you're in what kind of group?"_

"_Well, there are several of us who have pledged to do everything in our power to stop him. Which is what I really wanted you to know. We call ourselves the Order of the Phoenix." _

_I sat, wide-eyed, trying to process all this information, which, on the surface, sounded ludicrous. But then I thought people had probably said that about Hitler, too. I couldn't imagine anyone being that much of a threat, nowadays, but Sirius certainly believed it was. He had paused, allowing me to think about his words, before continuing. _

"_The thing is, Laura, I never really thought I would be in a serious relationship with anyone. I dated several witches here and there, but it was never anything special...it was all rather boring." He was interrupted by the presence of the waitress bringing our food. We ordered another pint each, then he continued as soon as she went back round the bar. We both ignored our food. "__But then we met, and it was -," he paused, looking for the right words, "so different with you, straight from the beginning. I saw you and knew immediately you were a muggle, but I didn't care. You are so intriguing, honest, lovely. You make me laugh, and we never seem to run out of things to talk about. I love you." _

"_Well, I could say the same," I replied softly. "I've never met a man as wonderful as you. I love you, too," I added, kissing him. I began to have a gnawing feeling, though, in the pit of my stomach. It occurred to me that he might be letting me down easy by saying these things. _

_But before I addressed that looming issue, I had to ask. "Exactly how dangerous is this Order of the Phoenix? It sounds as though you're risking your lives, attempting to fight this guy. I mean, he sounds horrible."_

_The waitress had reappeared, setting our beers down before us, then walked away again. He said, "Well, he is horrible. More than you could imagine, I think. And yes, any of us could die, or worse."_

_I was startled. "What's worse than dying?"_

"_Being tortured for information, for one," he stated flatly._

_I looked at him, staggered by this unwelcome information. "God, that could happen to you?"_

"_Yes, it could. Merlin, I don't know how to say this. I'm probably crazy to even think about it. They could hurt me, or _you_, if you're involved with me. Maybe I'm just being incredibly selfish, being with you." His hand clutched mine even more tightly._

"_What are you telling me, Sirius? Do you want to stop seeing me?" I wanted to get this part over with._

"_No, I don't _want_ to, though that would be the smart thing to do, I'll admit," he said. My heart sank, and I took a sip of beer, staring at the table._

"_I want to marry you," he said gently._

Lupin had sat down now, enraptured by my story. Pettigrew's squeaks had gotten louder and more frantic, but we paid him no mind.

"Sirius is really innocent, then," he stated. I nodded. "Why did he slash the painting if he wasn't going for Harry, then?"

"Pettigrew was living as a rat, a pet of one of Harry's friends. The kid is a Gryffindor. Sirius was desperate to get in there."

Remus had a strange expression, a sort of mingled horror. "That would have sent him straight back to Azkaban in a second." Then he considered Pettigrew. "And, to imagine _this_, living in the same place as Harry. How'd you get him?"

I told him, and he gave a great booming laugh. "You've got to be _kidding_!"

"Worth every penny, too," I said, smiling.

Our conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud explosion. "Merlin's beard, what on earth -"

Students and teachers began to run through the halls past the open door. An unusual acrid scent was filling the air, and smoke billowed into the classroom through the entrance. Remus and I ran out to the hallway to see if anyone had been injured. By now, though, several students were laughing, even as they choked on the smoke.

Remus sighed. "A dungbomb." He rolled his eyes, and said, "I've smelled plenty of those in my time. Don't ask me any details, but Sirius was involved in a few of them."

I grinned at him, and we looked around a few more minutes to check for damage. Seeing none, he put a hand on my shoulder, guiding me back into the classroom. I didn't want to leave the rat very long; I didn't trust him for a moment, though I couldn't imagine how he could possibly get out of the cage on his own.

We entered the classroom and walked back to our previous spot.

"Oh God," Lupin said faintly. My gaze followed his, and my heart stopped. The cage door was wide open and there was no rat to be found.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I panicked. _Where was the rat?_

"Merlin's beard, where did he go?" he asked, suddenly noticing the open cage door. He frantically began to look under chairs and desks for some clue that the rat was still present.

"_Accio rat!" _he shouted, brandishing his wand to all corners of the room. But no rat appeared. I ran back out into the hallway, looking left and right but saw nothing but fading smoke and a few students and teachers still skulking around the hallway. They looked up, startled, as I walked quickly past them, searching every crevice and alcove to see if he was hiding out close by.

_Oh God. _My one chance to see Sirius freed had gone up in smoke, like the dungbomb. I walked back to Lupin's classroom in a daze, still not believing how Pettigrew had managed to slip through my fingers after such a short time. Once in there, where Remus still hadn't given up the search, I slumped down at a desk and put my head in my hands. What was I going to tell Sirius? How could I explain to him that I had caught his enemy, then carelessly let him go? Pettigrew was sure to be far away now, and I knew he would never return. _Oh God, _I thought again. How could I have ruined this?

"Here are a few drops of blood," Lupin commented curiously, looking down at the floor close to the cage. "Wonder what made him bleed?" I no longer cared. I hoped he bled to death, the miserable coward.

The rest of my time at Hogwarts that day was a total wash. I couldn't get past the horrible guilt I felt about my mistake. Remus said a few comforting words and tried to make me feel better, but nothing helped. I was a lousy excuse for a witch, and I was afraid Sirius would hate me for this. He had told me to let him take care of Pettigrew, but nothing would do me but to get involved. Now I had effectively doomed Sirius to being a fugitive, barring some miracle, for the rest of his life.

That afternoon, I put my coat on and walked dejectedly back to Hogsmeade in the freezing cold. I had a crazy urge to run out into the forest and let a dementor have at me, then I realized that a dementor would be the only thing to make me feel even worse. It wouldn't exactly put me out of my misery.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When I arrived home, Sirius was gone. Where he was, I had no idea, but I had grown long since used to his absences and figured there was nothing special about this one. It was looming close to suppertime, but I wasn't remotely hungry. I sat for a while, waiting to see if he would appear, but eventually began to feel rather claustrophobic, and decided to go for a walk around the village. I slung my coat back on and went outside, but I really wasn't in the mood for any kind of stroll. I turned around and walked slowly back to the house.

I sat on the couch quietly. The only sound in the house was the ticking of the clock, slowly driving me crazy. I jumped up suddenly and went over to the piano. I didn't feel much like playing, either, but figured it was as good a way as any to occupy my time. I hoped, and dreaded at the same time, the moment Sirius would come walking through the door.

It grew late, and eventually I gave up the piano playing and laid down on the couch. I must have drifted off to sleep. I had a fragmented dream where I confessed to Sirius what I had done, and saw his look of fury and contempt. I woke up, out of breath, still right in the middle of the dream. Someone was opening the door slowly. I sat straight up, in time to see Padfoot walk quickly in and push the door shut behind him with a paw.

Once inside, he transformed immediately, but didn't notice me at first. I looked at the clock. Almost three a.m.

"Sirius," I said quietly, rubbing my eyes. "Come here." I moved over to make room for him.

He walked over and sat on the couch, looking defeated. I observed him, knowing I had to tell him what happened, but wondering at the same time what he had been doing.

He hunched over, massaging his temples. I sat down beside him and anxiously watched him. "What's wrong?"

He looked miserably at me. _Oh God,_ I thought. I recognized this expression.

"Failed again," he whispered. I hoped fervently that my suspicions were wrong.

"At- at what?" I asked, holding my breath for the inevitable answer. How was I going to explain what I had done?

"The kneazle gave me a whole list of passwords. I got right to the place where that disgusting vermin sleeps, and then -" he threw his hands up in despair. "No rat. Managed to scare the hell out of the boy, though," he added bitterly. "Hightailed it out of there before anyone could catch me and came back here straightaway. I don't know what I'm going to do. Why can't I capture him?" he said wretchedly.

I put my arm around him and leaned my head on his shoulder, wishing like hell that I didn't have to do this. I could smell a faint tinge of smoke on his clothing, which hung in the air around the village this time of year.

"Sirius ... I have to tell you something."

He pulled away slightly, watching me closely. I tried to look at him, but couldn't bring myself to.

"I messed up, Sirius. I did something ... really stupid." I looked disconsolately around for something in the room to focus on.

"What could you have possibly done?" he asked softly, still touching me.

I finally met his eyes. "I found Peter Pettigrew today."

His look changed to one of bewilderment. "You found him? When? Where?"

"Long story. I managed to get him from his owner, though, this morning. That's not all, though."

He looked wary, wondering what I was going to say.

"He got away," I said woodenly. He shut his eyes in disbelief. Then he looked at me again.

"How?" His voice was an agonized whisper. He stood up suddenly, looking down at me in hurt and surprise.

I was close to tears and my voice shook. "I don't know. I took him to Lupin in a cage, to make him transform. We'd been in there for a while when there was this explosion outside in the hallway. I had closed the cage ... at least, I thought I did. When we came back in ten minutes later, he was gone. Vanished. The cage door was open." Now I looked in his eyes, hoping for forgiveness. But it wasn't there.

Sirius sat down slowly, processing this information. He was silent for a while, then spoke slowly, as if working hard to control his temper. "Why didn't you leave it to me, like I've told you repeatedly?" he said in a low growling voice.

"I thought it was a good plan," I said desperately. "He didn't even know what was happening."

"Well, apparently, he did," he said furiously. "You couldn't have closed the cage door correctly." He looked at me accusingly.

"God, I've waited for so long to get my hands on him. Now there's no way!" His voice was rising steadily as he shot me a look of contempt. He had never looked at me like that before, and it devastated me.

"I'm so sorry ...I had no idea you were going after him toni -" I tried to say brokenly, but I was interrupted.

"Sorry?! Are you completely ... incompetent? You never should have tried something so ... ill-advised!" He stood up again, and paced back and forth a few times.

I stood also and looked evenly at him. "Stupid, you mean?"

He jumped on it. "Yes! You obviously don't know what you're doing! How many spells do you know, anyway? Eight total? Ten?" he spat out furiously.

I stood through his diatribe, heartbroken to hear him talk to me that way, but not saying anything. We had never had an argument like this, and I didn't know how to handle it. I didn't bother defending myself, mainly because I believed what he said was true.

Finally he stopped for a moment, chest heaving in his anger. I found my voice.

"Is this what you've always thought ... that I don't know what I'm doing?" I asked, eyes downcast and wet with tears.

"Oh, yes!" he snarled. "Married to a wizard for _twelve_ years before it dawned on you that you were a witch. How intelligent is _that?_"

"I think we've been through that," I said, immensely hurt by the comment and his nasty tone. I had thought he understood and sympathized with me on that subject. Apparently not. I sat down beside him, taking his hand. He ignored it. "Look, I'm so sorry. I thought for sure I had latched the cage. I wasn't exactly expecting a _dungbomb_ to go off in the corridor."

I may as well have kept my mouth shut, from the glacial look he gave me. "There is absolutely _no _hope of getting him now, thanks to you," he said coldly, pulling his hand away in disgust. "I may as well be dead."

I'd had enough. With tears pouring down my face, I grabbed my coat and walked out the door.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I walked through the snow, crying, for a good mile or so, away from Hogsmeade on the rutted cowpath that passed for a road out of there. I didn't care what the hour was; I had to get out of the house and away from Sirius. It was an uncharacteristically clear night; the moon was merely a sliver in the sky. I had to light my wand to see anything ahead of me. _"Lumos," _I said through wracked sobs. As I walked, the tears eventually stopped, but my mood was as low as it had ever been. I wanted nothing more than to forget about everything; magic, Pettigrew, Hogwarts, and even Sirius. I wished wildly that I had never met him, that my life had never taken this turn with so much tragedy. Maybe somehow things would have turned out differently, and better for him if we had never met. I tried, for the first time, to picture what life would have been like. I would still believe, blissfully, that I was a muggle, married to another one, having children and living a normal life with no surprises or hidden dangers that wizards seemed to bring with them. Then the unwelcome image of Sirius with another woman, a beautiful accomplished witch, flashed in front of my eyes, making me feel worse.

But the longer I thought about it, though, the angrier I got. Where Sirius was a more impulsive person, wearing his emotions on his sleeve, I was a slow burner. It usually took me a while to gain perspective on a situation, and I was having plenty of time to do that now. And now, I was feeling quite indignant, and progressing to outrage quickly.

Did he not care that I loved him enough to want more than anything to see him free and happy? All I cared about, all these years, was that he was safe and that I might see him again. I could easily have gotten a divorce several years back, or believed he was guilty, but I never gave up on him. I took my vows, which I felt were before God, seriously. I wondered bitterly, if the positions were reversed, if he would have done the same. I had also given him food, clothing and a place to stay, I thought angrily, and he might have starved otherwise.

Lost in a muddle of depressing thoughts, I finally stopped. If I continued, the road headed to Dovetown, but I really didn't want to go there in the middle of the night. I looked around and thought for the first time that I was all alone, defenseless, unless one counted the few pitiful spells I knew, which would be no match for any wizard over the age of thirteen.

Slowly I turned, feeling the wind suddenly blowing fiercely. I turned my collar up, wishing I had remembered a scarf, and turned around, going back in the direction I had originally come from.

My steps grew faster and I began to feel an irrational panic, increasing by the minute. I could see the twinkling lights of Hogsmeade in the distance and it seemed very far away. I pulled my wand out, remembering what Sirius had said contemptuously to me earlier. He was right. I didn't know hardly anything.

I was practically running now, suddenly feeling paranoid as though I was being followed. The cold air felt as though it was slicing right through my lungs. Thoughts of Sirius permeated my brain, and they weren't good. I imagined him taunting me, hating me for my failure to capture Pettigrew, and wishing he had never received any letters from me to begin with to complicate his life after prison. He wished he had never laid eyes on me either when we were younger. He should have met a real witch, one who knew how to do magic properly and wasn't such a poor excuse for one. And _James, _who was so embarrassed by me, his mother who had to come to his school for lessons of her own because she didn't know anything. The other students mocked him and classes had become unbearable. He had begun to fail his courses and was about to be expelled, I just knew.

My tears began to flow in earnest again as I ran, Hogsmeade growing ever closer. Maybe I would be doing everyone a favor if I just ended it all. I gripped my wand more fiercely, wondering if there was a way to use it in that manner. My side now ached with the exertion, and I was almost to the border of the village, chilled by the increasing wind, when a dark shape swooped down directly in front of me. I staggered back, screaming, falling to the ground, as it relentlessly began to remove all traces of happy memories. I screamed for my husband to rescue me, but he never came. Now there were more of them, and they surrounded me in a perfect circle as I lay on the ground with my useless wand.

I passed into unconciousness just as a blinding flash of light appeared, filling the night. In my vague haze I made out the shadows of the dementors being driven away by this light, just before I closed them and knew nothing more.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I awoke to the strong smell of ... farm animals? My nose wrinkled as I drifted slowly back to earth from the comatose haze I had been in. My first thought was that I was on my uncle's farm back home. So it was all a dream, I thought, but wasn't sure how I felt about it. Happy? No. Dream or no, I knew I would never return home for any reason. I must be somewhere else. I remembered Sirius, and felt a great sadness. All those years of loving him had been ... nothing, after all.

I could hear noises around me, almost like low voices talking, and wondered who they were. I tried opening my eyes, but there was only darkness and a weight upon them. Blindly my hands went up to my face, where I gingerly felt around, realizing it was a cool washcloth someone had placed on them. I removed it and looked around. I was laying on a very elderly couch, lumpy and uncomfortable, and my back was beginning to ache. I wondered how long I had been here, when a door into the room swung open and a tall white-haired, rather rough looking man entered, looking concerned, then relieved when he saw I was conscious.

I tried to speak, but my voice cracked. "Where am I?" I croaked out, then cleared my throat.

He looked impassively at me, and replied, "Hog's Head." He stood there staring at me and said nothing more.

"In - in Hogsmeade?" I realized with a jolt that I hadn't been dreaming about the last several years after all.

"Yes," he replied, still unsmiling. "You were set upon by some dementors. Least it was close by; I could hear you screaming. Thought you'd been attacked by Sirius Black, the way you were going on." He said this rather sardonically.

"Sirius?" I whispered. I sat up, fighting a feeling of nausea.

"Yes. You kept crying out his name. He try to hurt you?"

"No," I whispered miserably. "He didn't."

"Here." He shoved something in my hand. "Eat this."

I looked at it. It appeared to be a chunk of chocolate. "Thanks, I'm not hungry," I said, trying to hand it back.

"No! Eat it ... it'll make you feel better." He noticed my bewildered look, because he said, exasperated, "You know, the dementors! Don't you know anything?"

I was getting rather tired of hearing that by now, but I said nothing, taking a small nibble. To say I had no appetite was an understatement.

"Want something to drink? Goat's milk? I do have firewhisky, which, come to think of it, might be more applicable in your present state." He continued to gaze at me, somewhat fiercely, and I now assumed that was his normal expression.

"Firewhiskey would be excellent," I muttered, sitting more upright.

He went back out through the door. I could hear the clink of glass, then he was back again, holding a dusty bottle of the amber liquid, and a very dirty glass, which he rubbed vigorously with a cloth that wasn't in much better condition. Pouring me a glass, he handed it to me. I took it gratefully. I had never tried firewhiskey before, but figured this was as good a time as any to start. I wanted to forget everything. I took a swig, ignoring the intense burning migrating rapidly down my throat.

He looked at me with interest. "You're that one everybody here talks about, the_ sassenach," _he said bluntly.

"What on earth is that?" I exclaimed, though I had heard the term before around here.

"Just means a foreigner." He took a sip, studying me.

"Who talks about me? What do they say?" I asked, alarmed.

"People around Hogsmeade. You keep your blinds down all the time. Makes 'em wonder if you're up to something."

I snorted. "And what might that be?" I asked, grimacing as I took another sip of the searing liquid. They didn't call it firewhiskey for nothing.

He shrugged. "You tell me. You know how small towns are. People like to get in everybody's business. Some are scared of that great black dog you have."

I gave a bitter laugh. "He wouldn't hurt anyone," I said with some irony. Good thing nobody knew exactly who the black dog was. Anyway, he was likely gone now, I thought with another stab of sadness.

"What time is it, anyway?" The room was dark, but then again, there were no windows. I downed the remainder of the drink.

" 'Bout four in the morning," he said. "Way past my bedtime," he added pointedly.

"I should go, then," I said, attempting to stand, though the previous trauma and firewhiskey made that difficult.

"Stay long as you want," he answered. "I'm not trying to run you off. Anyway, you might run into dementors again if you go out now. What on earth possessed you to go for a stroll in the middle of the night?" he asked curiously.

"I was ... just out, and forgot what time it was." What a lame excuse. His expression showed me he didn't believe a word of it, but he didn't reply.

He dropped the subject and changed tack. "Well, I don't have anything more comfortable than that couch, but you're welcome to stay there until morning," he said.

"What's your name?" I asked curiously.

"Call me Aberforth," he said in his abrupt manner. "Yours?"

"Laura."

"What's your last name?" he asked.

I looked at him carefully. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just asking. Is it a secret?"

I thought for a minute, wondering what I could tell him. "Around here, yes."

His eyebrows raised, and I thought how much he reminded me, in that pose, of Professor Dumbledore.

"I ain't going to tell anyone," he said. "I hear lots of things people don't want repeated. But you don't have to, if you don't want."

I made up my mind, and said, "It's Black."

I noticed a look in his eye as if I had just confirmed what he already knew. I had no idea how he could know _that, _though.

"Ah. Related to that famous Black?" he said wryly.

"Yes," I replied, and made a reckless decision on the spur of the moment. "I'm his wife. And _that _is something I really don't want repeated. Alright?"

He didn't look surprised, or even alarmed, for whatever reason. He nodded his head.

"I won't say a word. You ain't keeping him here, though, are you?" he suddenly asked.

"No," I lied. "I haven't seen him in a long time." I hoped he bought this, but knew otherwise with the calm look of disbelief he shot me again.

"Well," he said, "I'm off to bed then. If you don't need anything else, I'll see you back home in the morning."

"Thanks." When he had gone, I sat back and hoped I hadn't made a huge error in telling him my secret. I had the inexplicable feeling, though, that his word was good. The firewhiskey had made me drowsy, and I eventually laid back down and drifted off, wondering what had happened to Sirius.


	18. The Aftermath

_Laura_

The next morning, at first light, Aberforth and I made our way gingerly through the snow and ice back to my house. As we walked, he said, " I want to tell you something. I saw your husband last night."

I stopped and looked at him in shock. "Sirius? Where?"

"Those dementors were surrounding you. I had run out of the Hog's Head and conjured a patronus trying to drive them off. Just then, he came running up and cast his at the same time," he said, still shaking his head in amazement. "Mine almost fizzled out, shocked as I was when I realized it was Sirius Black running toward me, out of breath... almost didn't recognize him at first. Looked like he was in much better shape than I would've thought, being a fugitive all this time."

He looked to me suspiciously for clarification, but, getting none thus far, went on.

"Once we got the dementors away and you straightened out in the Hog's Head, he brandished his wand at me to keep me from doing anything to him. He said you was his wife, and innocent, and I could just hold off on contacting the ministry, if I pleased. As if I had a choice!" he snorted indignantly.

"We both stayed with you for a while, making sure you were alright. For a while, you kept calling his name."

He looked at me again, but I only shrugged. For the first time, I felt numb.

"You know, I used to know Sirius, before. Once in a while, he and some others would come into the Hog's Head back then. He wasn't a bad sort at all. Always joking ... and kept me laughing." I gave him a sidelong glance, trying to imagine what Aberforth would look like laughing, but I came up short.

He continued. "I was really surprised when I heard he had done all them muggles in, and Pettigrew."

_Pettigrew _was said almost sarcastically.

"Yes, well funny how everybody says that, but they're all eager to believe he's a vicious murderer." I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice. "And don't get me started on Pettigrew. What a waste of space."

He did laugh, now, and the sound was most unlike him, almost musical. "Yes, now there was an accomplished wizard," he said with a great deal of irony. "He tagged along lots of times with Black and Potter, sometimes another lad named Remus. Pettigrew seemed to me to be weak-minded, though."

I snorted. "Well, he was an expert at making people think that, anyway."

By now, we had almost reached the house. Aberforth didn't follow me in, but stood outside as I magically unlocked the door. I turned to him before opening it.

"Thanks so much. I don't know how I can repay you," I said soberly.

He shrugged. "Don't worry about that." And without another word, he turned and left. From that moment on, I decided to frequent the Hog's Head whenever I wanted something to drink, no matter how dirty the glasses were.

I walked into the house, which was silent as the grave. I noticed, of course, that Sirius was nowhere to be found, and I knew it was my fault he was gone. I sighed deeply, looking around. The tears had dried up for now, but I expected them to return at some point.

It was the weekend, so I had no lessons scheduled for Hogwarts that day. I tried to think of something constructive to do, to keep my mind off the previous night's debacle, but I kept drifting back toward it. Not only that, but the episode with Remus Lupin. How had I not secured the cage? I wracked my brain, but couldn't figure out how he had escaped. I thought for sure I had fastened it upon my receipt of the rat from the Weasley brothers, even using a spell. The only explanation I could come up with was a simple one. Pettigrew was just a very experienced and crafty wizard, an expert at fooling people. He knew everyone thought he was incompetent. I thought of the word, _incompetent_, and recalled Sirius saying that to me. Tears welled up again, as I expected, and I had to wonder how he could say that to me, someone he supposedly loved. I sank down on the couch, thinking sadly how easily cruel words had come out of his mouth. I remembered the last time I was here alone, after James had gone to Hogwarts. I had wondered then if I would ever see Sirius, if he would ever care enough to find me. And, amazingly, he had. But now he had no reason to come back.

I spent the day wandering aimlessly around the house, wondering how far away Sirius would be by now. I remembered a conversation we had recently, when he had told me of our first meeting. Which was not at the park, as I now discovered, but in Diagon Alley a few weeks earlier. Somehow I had made it through the magical barrier that existed to keep muggles out, and he had nearly run me over when I came to a dead stop in the middle of the sidewalk. I thought it was interesting that he had never told me this before now ... maybe back then he was afraid I would be too angry with him for what he had done. So he had wiped the event clean from my memory.

"_Doesn't that go against the wizarding code of conduct?" _I had asked, eyebrows raised, when Sirius related the story to me.

"_Not if it's a beautiful girl you desperately want to meet," _he replied with a mischievous smile.

The event had taken place so long ago, now, though, that I didn't see any point in being upset about it. I had felt more amused than anything. I did, however, recall the date I had right before I saw him at Regent's Park. Some guy, Mark something-or-other, whom I had met at a concert. A local prog rock band, and he was the drummer. I couldn't really remember anything distinguishing about him, other than he was a tad too possessive for a first date, trying hard to wrap his arm around me all night. I recalled him asking to see me the next day, but I told him no. For some inexplicable reason, I had wanted to take a walk to Regent's Park. I remembered this clearly. The boating lake, two-ish.

Snow was falling heavily outside now, as I peered out the window. My abandoned car sat forlornly, now with a car cover over it and a heavy dusting of snow, parked halfway up on the sidewalk. My neighbors, whom I barely knew after all these months, probably thought it was an eyesore. I stood watching the snow fall, trying to think of what to do with it. I had been foolish to begin with, bringing it here. I decided I would walk over to the Hog's Head tonight for another firewhiskey and ask Aberforth how to go about removing it from Hogsmeade magically, maybe to Dovetown. I needed desperately to get away from here for a while, and taking the car to London would be the perfect excuse. I had some places in mind to visit. In a pathetic way, I hated the thought of leaving Sirius behind, though I had no idea where he was now. But I knew if he really wanted or needed to, he could get inside the house for food or shelter. He had taken the wand with him, at least, and that should offer him plenty of protection. Suddenly I felt resentful. Yet another thing I had done for him, and he couldn't care less. The memory of our argument came flooding back, and I decided without a doubt to leave here as soon as possible and go to London, just for myself. Let Sirius take care of himself for a change.

I immediately sat down with a few pieces of parchment, thinking about what to say. Finally, I wrote a few lines out and folded the paper, placing it in an envelope. _Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts, _I put on it. I didn't mention Sirius breaking in to the castle again. If Dumbledore wanted to question me, he could come find me this time. The next one was written just as quickly, and on the outside of the envelope, I wrote _James Black, Hogwarts, Gryffindor House._ Aside from telling my son I would be away for at least a few weeks, I asked him to go to the Defense classroom and pick up a cage for me, returning it to Harry Potter, who most likely wondered what had happened to it. Shrugging on a coat and boots, I walked over to the post office, handing over the letter and a few knuts to send it to the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Sirius_

The cave was exactly how Sirius had left it the previous summer. A few bits of trash were strewn around, picked over by vermin that had visited at some point, but it was empty, and, as far as he knew, uncharted by wizards in the area. _My new home_, he thought bitterly, throwing down an old blanket that he had taken from the house. Cursing the circumstances which seemed to be inevitable for him, he wondered what Laura was feeling right now. Miserable, he hoped. He hadn't gotten past the anger of the previous night, though he wasn't so unfeeling that he wouldn't go looking for her. The little fool had made everything worse, running out in the darkness with dementors everywhere. He had risked everything just trying to find her, but unfortunately had gone in the wrong direction, thinking she would be heading for Hogwarts. In the end, though, Aberforth had rescued her from the inevitable dementor attack. Sirius paled, thinking about what could have happened if the other man hadn't heard her screams. Another reason to disappear for good, he thought. Aberforth now likely knew his biggest secret because of her. He had seen him transform from a dog into a man. Sirius hoped fervently that, in the darkness, the other man would not have seen his transformation clearly enough to tell what was going on, but he couldn't take that chance.

He paced back and forth in the cave, his anger growing again. Now he couldn't even go into Hogsmeade safely, therefore food was going to be much harder to come by. He stopped moving, though, with a sudden stab of guilt. He recalled just where he had been getting food for the past five months. His wife, the only person to believe in his innocence, had provided him with food, shelter, clothing, and company, as soon as she had learned his identity. She had bought him a wand, which made life much easier for him. She had also allowed him to share her bed, giving him pleasures he had thought never to feel again. Making love with her was even more wonderful and exciting than it had been in the early years of their marriage. At the same time, though, he could have caught the rat and been freed by now if it hadn't been for her well-intentioned meddling. His irritation returned, and he sighed.

Tired of all the conflicting emotions, he went to the mouth of the cave and stood looking out. It was early February, and snow was falling in earnest. Sirius stared at it without really seeing it. He wondered what there was left for him now. He had seen a recent copy of the Daily Prophet and knew that his fate was now the dementors' kiss if he were caught. Maybe that would be best, he thought with regret. Just let them take his soul out and he would never know anything more. Then he thought of his son, who had never known him. Laura would never admit it to him, but Sirius knew James thought he was guilty, along with everyone else. He felt sad that he might die without ever speaking to his child.

His thoughts once again turned back to his wife, and he considered how she had been willing to wait on him all this time. He tried to imagine an alternate scenario, where she was the one who had been taken away without warning. How would he have reacted? Would he wait for years on end hoping for some word on what had happened to her, or would he move on after a while? He would like to think he would take his vows as seriously as she had.

The guilt returned when he recalled a dig he had made during their argument. _How intelligent is _that? he had asked cruelly about her inability to distinguish herself as a witch for most of her life. The comment would hurt her, of course, because he knew she already felt inadequate, being far behind her magical peers in capability. And now he wondered what her next move was. She might be hurt and disgusted enough to seriously consider ending their marriage now. He sighed again, remembering how devastated she had looked, and tried to push thoughts of her and James away to deal with later.

Time to consider what to do with Peter. He made an involuntary growling noise in the back of his throat, wanting nothing more than to kill him with his bare hands. At least it would be much more satisfying than using the unforgivable killing curse. Once again, the miserable wretch had gotten the best of him. The thought of trying to find him now was depressing, like looking for a needle in a haystack. Pettigrew could be anywhere by now. Sirius halfheartedly decided to meet with the kneazle again, on the off chance that the cat had any new information. But for now, he was already bored, lonely, and growing hungry. His only consolation was having the wand, which would be satisfactory for killing small animals, _wherever they might be_, he thought with a tinge of sarcasm. Certainly not out here in the snow. He finally stopped staring off into space, and returned to the back of the cave, where he set himself down on the cold ground, uneven with pebbles, and covered up with the blanket.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Laura_

London hadn't changed any since the summer. In my neighborhood it was relatively quiet, but as I walked around the city, I was disconcerted by the constant noise. It would take some getting used to again, I thought. I knew eventually I would be visiting Diagon Alley and some wizard haunts, but for now I wanted to avoid anything magical. I just felt like being a muggle for a while.

The first Sunday I was back in London, I went to a local shop and picked up a copy of the London Times. I thought it would be a great time to catch a play, or see a concert. Anything to keep my mind off Sirius and my problems there. So far it was working fairly well, at least until I took an afternoon walk one day around a few London neighborhoods and found myself in Regent's Park. I walked through several areas until I reached the lake, finding the spot where, almost fifteen years ago, I had seen my future husband for the first time. I sat down, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden. The place wasn't crowded at all; still fairly cold in the middle of February. Looking out over the water, I remembered Sirius and James, acting like fools and making Lily laugh. Sirius looking over at me while I pretended to concentrate on my work. Our first conversation. Hard to believe so much had happened since then. We should have had a predictable, boring, happy married life together. James and Lily should still be alive. Harry should have his parents with him. James should know his father. Too many things gone wrong, all because of some megalomaniac psychopath of a wizard who had recruited a slight, weak-minded person to do his bidding.

Finally, I heaved myself up and looked around. I had an extremely irrational hope that a large black dog might magically appear. But it was just me, and I didn't feel so well. I walked off, hoping to gather enough courage to visit another place that had once been special to me and Sirius.

Back at home, I knew I ought to go to the grocery store and pick up some essentials, but I really felt like taking a nap. Though in a way, my problems with Sirius seemed very far away, I was still very tired and figured all of it was catching up with me. The bed in my room was one of the few things to stay in this house when James and I had moved to Hogsmeade. I laid down on it and fell asleep quickly.


	19. Complications

I had meant only to take a nap, but I slept all through the night. The next day, I awoke feeling a little better. The fatigue hadn't truly gone away, but as I arose and got dressed, I felt well enough to do some more touristy things. Browsing through a booklet of London's attractions, I decided to head to the British Library, because of the Beatles exhibit and, if there was time, Madame Tussaud's. Couldn't get any more touristy than that. I got in the shower, then dried myself off with the one towel I had left behind in the house, deciding that I definitely needed to shop for a few things if I was planning on staying for any length of time.

That afternoon, absolutely spent from all the walking I had done, I headed home, stopping only to get some food and toiletries. Once I opened the front door, I dropped the bags off in the kitchen, only putting up the refrigerated items, and crawled back in the bed. I laid there for a while before drifting off and thought again of Sirius and what he was doing now. Hogsmeade and the castle seemed millions of miles away, and if it weren't for the presence of my wand on the kitchen counter, I could easily imagine myself once again being just a muggle. As sleep eventually came to me, I thought drowsily how nice it was to be free of any responsibility to anyone, however temporary.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

After a week had passed, I began to get lonely. I had spent my days walking all over London and most evenings writing in my journal with a glass of wine. It seemed so much easier to organize my thoughts that way, and it went a long way in making me feel better. I had been consumed by contemplating my relationship with Sirius. The thought of divorce was insidiously creeping into my mind as I spent this time alone. Would it be better for everyone if we just admitted that our marriage was never going to be the same, and ended it formally? My own son already thought I was pathetically hanging on to nothing. Of course, there were plenty of things he didn't know. Would it be best for Sirius, though? I thought at this point he might find it easier to be on his own, not having to worry about a wife. I had a feeling of great sadness when I thought of this, that we had made it past twelve years of pure hell, only to get to this point. I wanted so much for James to know his father, but it appeared that would never happen. Despite my bitter argument with Sirius, which still tore at me when it came to mind, I didn't want to abandon my husband. It killed me to think of divorcing him when I knew he had never committed any crime; it would have been different if he were guilty. But now I felt as though I would just be discarding him. I sighed, closing the journal. These conflicting emotions were wearing me out, and I felt as tired as ever. Finally, I decided I would attempt to find Sirius upon my return to Hogsmeade and just ask what he felt was best.

There was one other complication, though, that had unpleasantly arisen during the last few weeks. I hadn't expected to feel so exhausted. At first I tried to push it to the back of my mind, figuring it was just a belated reaction to what had happened in Hogsmeade. But when one day I happened to take a taxi to go shopping, and felt suddenly like throwing up when the driver whipped around a curve, I realized I hadn't felt like this in a long time. Not since I was pregnant with James.

This unpleasant notion was absolutely the last thing I needed. But certainly possible. Sirius and I had been together on numerous occasions, and we hadn't used any contraception. Now it occurred to me how irresponsible and, well, _dumb, _that was, considering all the other things going on. It was yet another mistake on my part, and _oh god, _the thought of being a single mother once again terrified me. Coward that I was, I decided to knock off the alcohol for a bit, just in case, and hope these symptoms just went away.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

My last official act in London was going to Diagon Alley. After Sirius had confessed to meeting me here all those years ago, I thought there was a slight possibility I might remember the incident if I went back with that purpose in mind. But once I was there, walking past Gringott's and Florean Fortescue's, nothing special came back to me, and I felt a bit resentful that he had erased it from my memory. Looking around the shops no longer held as much appeal after living in Hogsmeade for several months. I left the place without buying anything, feeling let down.

I made the decision to return to Hogsmeade at the beginning of March. I had been in London close to three weeks by now, and mentally felt much better. Physically was still another story. By now, all I felt like doing was sleeping and the nausea had picked up, though I seemed to stay hungry all the time. Ultimately, I decided I should face reality and go to the chemist's.

The closest Boots was a twenty minute walk, and I plodded the whole way feeling like I was going to my own execution. Once inside, I couldn't immediately find the pregnancy tests and was forced to ask the chemist where they might be. He pointed them out to me, and I grabbed a couple. If this turned out to be positive, I wanted a second opinion.

Back at my house, I stood in the bathroom, staring at the test I had just taken, and saw the thin blue strip show up immediately, indicating that the test was working. I couldn't take my eyes off it, and slowly another faint blue line joined it, growing steadily darker until it was the same shade as the first one. I slumped down on the cold tile and began to cry, cursing my body for its lousy timing once again.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I was immensely grateful for the train back to Scotland. I didn't think I could handle driving a car myself, having to watch the road, and all the while dwelling on this unwelcome baby. I had left my car covered up in the drive at the house in London and charmed it for protection from any vandals or people getting too curious. I hated to leave it behind, but it was more trouble to keep it in the village. This left me with several hours to think about things on the trip back north.

A few times on the train, I broke down in tears, to curious looks from the other passengers. An elderly lady handed me a tissue and looked sympathetically at me. I took it, thanking her, but really wanted to keep to myself. I tried to think of other things, but kept coming back to this baby. Starting all over again with an infant and most likely no husband around. What was I going to tell James? For that matter, what would I tell everyone else? So for now, I decided it was a secret. I wouldn't even tell Sirius at this point, if I managed to communicate with him. I couldn't imagine how he would take the news. The train gave a sudden lurch as we slowed into a station in the north of England, and a wave of nausea overtook me. I managed to swallow a few times, though, and the feeling disappeared.

After a train change, I arrived in Dovetown and got off to check my mail. The milk run train to Hogsmeade wasn't due for about thirty minutes, so I put my bags down and walked around in the meantime. The Dovetown station was a bit like King's Cross, with the curious feature of having a platform visible only to wizards, so muggles didn't ever wander into Hogsmeade on their own. When it was time to go, I picked up my bags again. I had to cross a few sets of tracks with my gear to get over to a brick wall, then I walked right into the barrier and disappeared to the other side. The train sat waiting to make the short trip to the village, and I climbed up the steps into the carriage, lugging my things.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The house in Hogsmeade was dark and depressing. For the first time in ages, I opened the blinds and let some light in. After a full day of traveling, I felt exhausted as usual, and went straight to bed.

After a dreamless sleep, I awoke suddenly, thinking I had heard something. The clock beside my bed showed it was three-thirty in the morning. I stayed completely quiet, but heard nothing more. But now I couldn't get back to sleep, and slid out of bed. I walked into the kitchen, hungry now. I hadn't eaten in hours. Sirius was standing there, in near darkness, searching for something to eat himself. I must have startled him, for he whipped around holding his wand, then lowered it when he saw the source of the noise.

"Sorry I, uh, barged in," he attempted to explain, abashed. "I didn't know you were home. Where have you been?"

"Hungry?" I asked, ignoring his question for the moment. I didn't really know what to say to him.

"Well, yes ... sorry," he admitted. We had both calmed down since I had seen him last, but I hadn't expected him to come back. "I originally came back to talk to you, but you weren't here. You've been gone a long time. I've been hungry ... and I've probably exhausted your supplies. I'll give you money to get some more."

I was slightly amused. "And how will you get money? Anyway, it's all in the same vault, so it doesn't matter. I won't let you starve."

He looked ashamed at this, and said softly, "Yes, I know. You left it for me, didn't you? You've been so good to me." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for the things I said. I didn't mean them, Laura. It was unspeakably cruel of me."

"Oh, well ..." I was still at a loss for words on that topic.

"You didn't say where you'd been," he prompted.

"London."

"Oh. How was it?"

"Alright." I wasn't about to go into detail.

"Are you unwell? You look tired."

I avoided the obvious answer. "Well, it _is _the middle of the night. Let's find something to eat."

We searched a few cupboards, and Sirius began to make tea. I remembered that the blinds were open, and grabbed my wand, closing each set from the kitchen. I turned back around to see him watching me intently.

"You really are a talented witch," he said. I figured he was still trying to make up for our argument.

I didn't answer, but shrugged, and went back to scrounging for food. Finally I arranged some pieces of stale bread, and found a jar of peanut butter. Looking in the refrigerator, I managed to locate a tiny bit of marmalade, and took a knife, scraping the bottom of the jar.

"Better than nothing, anyway," I said with a mouth full of peanut butter sandwich. I remembered what I had thought about while in London, and decided to get that subject out of the way.

"Sirius," I began. Then I tried to decide how to word such a difficult question. "I thought about a lot of things the last few weeks." He watched me, his face impassive. "And, I don't know, am I just ... a hindrance to you?" Damn, this wasn't coming out right.

He looked distressed. "Of course not," he said, running his fingers through his long hair restlessly. "I told you, I'm sorry. I did _not _mean what I said. You are wonderful, so good to me. I know you just wanted to help." He put a hand on my cheek, which distracted me greatly.

I finally decided to just let it out. "Do you think we should ... stay married?"

He stared at me for a long moment. "Is that what this is about? Do you want a divorce?"

"Truthfully? No."

"Then why did you ask?" his brow wrinkled, clearly not convinced.

"What good am I? I'm scared you might get caught because of me. And I can't let anything happen to you."

"Me? What about you? I've been so selfish. Even if I can be a dog, I'm putting you in danger by being around you and coming here. And with Aberforth seeing me ..." He looked suddenly guilty at his appearance here tonight.

"He told me. Didn't act like it concerned him too much, though, which I thought was interesting."

He shrugged. "I guess he's seen it all. But I can't depend on him to keep his mouth shut. I'm sure he thinks I'm guilty just like everyone else."

"I suppose we've both been a bit reckless," I admitted. "But I just want to do what's best for you, to keep you safe. If a divorce would keep you safer somehow, maybe we should do it. That's the only reason, though."

"I think we're very much alike," he said gently. "But no, I don't want that. You are the one good thing in my life, and I won't let Pettigrew take that away from me, like he's done everything else."

"As far as what to do," he continued, "damned if _I _know. Maybe there's just nothing for me here any more. In Britain, I mean."

"You want to go away?" I asked. I hadn't expected this.

"Maybe. With you, if you would." He looked uncertain about it.

"What about James?"

"He would be with us when school wasn't in session. And hopefully, with me far away, it might never come up that he's my son. Of course, we would have to try to convince him that I'm innocent."

I didn't know what to say. He kept going. "Well, something to think about, anyway. But we should make some kind of decision, soon. I can't keep coming around here like this putting you in danger, obviously."

"Where have you been staying, anyway?" I'd meant to ask before.

"Not too far," he answered evasively. He didn't seem to want to talk about it. "When do you go back to Hogwarts?"

"Monday, I guess. I don't have anything scheduled, but maybe I should make an appearance. I'd like to talk to Lupin a bit more. I want to learn how to do one of those charms to keep dementors away." I certainly didn't want a run-in with them again.

Just then a wave of nausea overtook me, and I muttered, "Be right back." I took off to the loo, hoping it would pass. Standing before the mirror with the door closed, I splashed water on my face, trying hard not to throw up. There was a knock at the door.

"Laura? Are you alright?" Sirius sounded concerned.

I didn't answer for a minute. "I'm fine," I finally said, bracing my hands against the counter with my eyes closed. Then the bathroom door opened and he came in. I glanced at him through the mirror, my face ashen.

"You don't look alright," he insisted, touching my arm and gently turning me. Then the nausea grew stronger, and I knew I had to vomit. I twisted around suddenly and managed to reach the toilet in time.

He put his arm around me as I was sick, then when it was over he helped me up and grabbed a washcloth, wetting it. "Here," he said, wiping my mouth off. "Want to brush your teeth?"

I nodded. He pulled me to him and held me for a moment, then got my toothbrush and handed it to me, watching me as I brushed vigorously to rid my mouth of the foul taste. Then he helped me walk into the bedroom, picking me up to gently place me on the bed. "Thanks," I said, and began to cry.

"It's alright," he murmured, holding me and caressing my hair. "Don't cry, darling."

When my tears subsided, he continued to rock me slightly. "I don't want you to get upset again, but ... either you are pregnant or you have a slight case of dragon pox. And I know you don't have dragon pox."

I looked up at him. "How's that?"

Sirius smiled slightly and said, "Your head would be twice its normal size, for one thing." Then he observed me silently. Finally he spoke again. "You are with child, aren't you?"

I barely nodded. He sighed and kissed the top of my head. "Are you upset?" I asked, fully expecting him to be.

"No," he said softly. "But that changes things a bit," he added with some irony. "What do we do now?"

"I have no idea," I replied. For now, I was just relieved to tell him my secret. We laid in bed together the remainder of the night.


	20. Making Plans

I fell asleep for a while with Sirius at my side. When I awoke a few hours later he was still lying next to me, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept at all, it appeared.

"What is it?" I murmured sleepily.

He rolled over, facing me, and put his arm around me. "Just thinking about everything," he said softly. It was obvious how tired he was. "Wondering how in the name of Merlin I'm going to be a father to _this._" He put his hand on my stomach as if he could already feel the baby. "I don't know what to do. It's overwhelming."

"You know, you didn't seem very surprised when you found out I was pregnant," I said, watching him.

His mouth twisted into a wry smile. "I happened to know we've made love on numerous occasions without really thinking about any consequences. I should have been more diligent, obviously. But it was _so _good being with you again. When I escaped, I had thought I would never even _see_ you, much less take you to bed. The thought of going to the chemist's for some condoms never really crossed my mind, even if I have acted like a randy teenager." He said this with a hint of amusement, then seemed to remember the gravity of the situation, and all traces of a smile disappeared.

"And, like I said, when a witch is throwing up, there aren't very many reasons for it. We don't usually have those kinds of ailments. Though it _is _a symptom of dragon pox. That, the enormous head size _and _the scaly sores that would cover your body." I giggled in spite of myself at his description.

Then he changed the subject. "I'm sorry again for barging in here without asking your permission. Especially after what happened between us." He took my hand, idly lacing his fingers between mine. "That wasn't exactly playing fair, I suppose. But I came back the first time intending to talk to you. Of course the car was gone, and you were nowhere to be found. I left you a note, to tell you I'd been back and wanted to talk, but I couldn't stay away. I guess I grew anxious, wondering where you were and when you might return. I wanted to know if you were alright. And I was hungry," he admitted. "This morning, I didn't know you were back ... the car wasn't out front."

"I left it in London. I'm so sorry." I didn't explain what I meant, but of course he knew.

"Laura, it's alright. We'll find him." He said this without any real conviction, and I felt worse, even though that wasn't his intent. "What did you do in London?"

"Nothing interesting ... just played tourist for the first time in a long time. I went to Diagon Alley."

"Mmmm," he murmured in acknowledgment. "Did you stay away from Knockturn Alley this time, like a good girl?" he asked cheekily.

"Cut it out. I was really there to see if I could remember the first time I met you. No such luck, though."

"I'm afraid that most likely won't come back," he said with regret.

"I also went to Regent's Park," I added. "I remembered everything there."

"Yes, well, I've never forgotten that either," he said with a little smile.

We laid there a few minutes in silence, then decided it was best to talk strategy before he left. He was clearly worried about the baby.

"We have plenty of time before we have to do anything about that," I said. "I'd say it's due in October sometime." I felt the familiar stab of terror when I thought of a concept as heavy as this _baby_, and worried about James' reaction when he learned this bit of news. "I probably won't show until mid April, hopefully." That gave me over a month to keep this quiet.

He sat up now. "Right. I want to keep seeing you, if possible, to make sure you're alright. But it will have to be in the middle of the night. I can't risk Aberforth turning me in if I come across him as Padfoot."

I said, "Well, instead of concentrating on _everything _at once, let's take it one at a time. You need to be in a safe place. You also need food. Do I need to meet you anywhere with it, or will coming here at night suffice?"

He shook his head. "I don't want you to call attention to yourself. And it's best if you don't worry about where I'm at."

"You know I'm going to worry when you say things like that!" I almost laughed. "Is it safe for you?"

"Oh yes, completely deserted. Very comfortable," he added, rolling his eyes.

"Have you met the cat any more?" I asked, suddenly remembering.

He nodded. "Yes, but he doesn't know anything. They think he killed the rat, so he has to be careful around Harry's friend. Always trying to kick him when the girl isn't looking." I did laugh this time.

"Well, much as I hate to, I should be going before people are up and about," he said, sighing.

"I wish you could stay," I replied morosely.

He kissed me thoroughly. "So do I."

"Take something to eat with you," I added. "And I'll get more food today." I scrounged around and found a piece of fruit I had left uneaten from the previous day. I handed it to him.

"Thank you, darling," he said, putting his arms tightly around me and kissing me again. "I love you. We'll talk tonight."

I felt like crying. Obviously the pregnancy emotional roller coaster was setting in. "I love you, too. Be careful!"

He smiled at me, then transformed, a feat which still was amazing to watch even after seeing him do it so many times. I opened the door for him and he loped out and down the street, apple in his mouth.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I was much more nervous about going to Hogwarts now after the dementors had come after me. I knew they weren't supposed to be on the path from Hogsmeade to the castle, but they didn't seem to abide by too many rules. I didn't have much choice, though, but to take it. Apparition, even only to the gates, was an option probably a year or two away at best. So I walked. Fortunately my stomach behaved for now. Finally I reached the gate, handing my pass with Dumbledore's permission on it to the guard. He let me through, as usual, and I continued my walk past the main entrance. I preferred not to make a spectacle of myself by having the enormous doors open for me. So I took my usual side entrance off the courtyard and went in search of Remus Lupin.

As I approached the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, I could hear the sound of Lupin's voice as he lectured. I stood in the shadows at the doorway, listening. Nobody noticed me. He was an excellent teacher, and kept the attention of the students. As he spoke, he looked my way and saw me standing there. Embarrassed, I moved further back into the shadows, but he smiled and beckoned me to come in, then continued speaking. Several heads swiveled around, and I noticed that my son's was one of them. James looked at me in surprise, then gave me a slight wave before turning back around. I hadn't seen him since the Christmas holiday, and it always caught me off guard exactly how much like a young Sirius he looked. He was growing so fast, I thought wistfully.

I took an empty seat in the back of the classroom, listening to the remainder of Lupin's lecture to the first years. He was discussing the differences between fairies, imps and pixies, and showing slides of each as students scribbled notes with their quills. I couldn't help but watch my son, who was more interested in whispering to his classmate than writing. When this didn't stop, Lupin gently asked him to be quiet, then glanced back at me for my reaction. I rolled my eyes and Remus tried not to smile, then continued to speak. James turned around now, not realizing I was still in the room, and appeared mortified when he saw me, slinking down in his seat. A few students that recognized me from other visits snickered at him.

Finally the lecture was over, and the students filed out. James acted as though he didn't know me now, and gave me only the tiniest glance as he left. I smiled at him anyway and waited for the room to clear out.

"Good to see you again, Laura!" Remus called out and motioned for me to join him at the front. "I heard you had gone to London. How was it?"

"Oh, fine," I answered noncommittally. "Good to be back."

He sobered then, and said, "I kept looking for Peter. But I had absolutely no luck. It was like he disappeared into thin air."

"Yeah, well, for all we know, he can do that," I answered bitterly. "Do you have any ideas now? Just wondering, because I don't." I looked to him for reassurance, but he shook his head.

"I'm terribly sorry, Laura. For you, and Sirius. To think he was _this_ close to being free." He shook his head sorrowfully. "But if there's ever anything I can do to help in future ..." his voice trailed off.

"Have you seen Sirius?" he asked suddenly. I nodded mutely.

"He's okay," I said. "Lousy timing, all that. I had no idea he was going for Pettigrew again. When I think of what could have happened to him ... well, thank God he got away."

As we talked about Sirius, Remus and I were standing in the room observing a few pixies and imps he had in cages. Then, I turned around to a slight noise behind me, and there, watching us sardonically, was Professor Snape. He wore an interesting expression of mingled surprise and amusement, and I thought, suddenly horror stricken, how much he may have heard. He noticed my stunned expression, and smiled at me evilly.

"Professor Lupin," he drawled, black eyes glittering at me. "Could I have a word? Mrs. ..._Black_, would you excuse us?" Remus stiffened, evidently wondering the same thing as me. But he smiled at Snape, and said easily, "Be right back, Laura."

I stood there in front of the chattering pixies, not really seeing them. I knew Snape had been one of Sirius' worst enemies at Hogwarts, and hoped dearly that the former had mellowed a bit through the years and moved past whatever ill feelings he might have had. But what little I knew about Snape convinced me otherwise. He had obviously suspected I was related to Sirius based on his previous comments to me, and the way he was looking at me today ... _God_, I didn't think I could take another complication with Sirius now. I hoped he didn't realize that particular Black was my husband.

Lupin eventually returned, appearing a bit shell-shocked. "Merlin, that was close! But I don't think he heard what we said."

"Did he mention anything about it?"

"No, he had a question about something else." I got the feeling Lupin wasn't entirely convinced about Snape's hearing, but he abruptly changed the subject.

We went on to discuss our aims for my training and my desire to learn the Patronus charm, as it was known. I didn't mention the dementors that had attacked me weeks ago. He agreed to begin teaching me the Patronus starting this week, as well as some other defensive spells that we hadn't touched on yet. I left, feeling good about my meeting with him, but also remembering Snape and his glittering dark eyes, and had a sick feeling in my stomach that had nothing to do with the baby.


	21. Snape Presents a Problem

"Mrs. _Black_ ... I'd like a word." I stiffened when I recognized the cold drawl of Professor Snape as I was walking down the hallway bound for a lesson with Professor Dumbledore. I stopped momentarily, turning only to say, "Sorry, but I'm late for something. Later?"

Snape ignored me and casually added, "I happened to be in London the other day. I discovered something _interesting _about you." He paused to gauge my reaction. I got the impression he didn't just _happen_ to be in London at all.

I shrugged. "In a big city like London you managed to find out something about _me_?" I asked him innocently enough, but I was a bit wary.

"Oh yes. Amazing how easy the information was to find, if one only knows where to look. Does the twenty-second of March, 1980, sound familiar?"

"Yes. And?" My heart was thudding so loud I thought he could probably hear it.

"Is the ministry aware that you are married to the notorious mass murderer Sirius Black?" He raised his voice at the words _Sirius Black_, and a few students passing by looked over at me in alarm when they heard the name.

I decided to bluff. "I suppose they do. We were married years ago, as you obviously know, and it _is _the Ministry of Magic, after all. I guess they wouldn't miss a thing like that, right? Now, if you'll ex-"

He interrupted me. "How _interesting _that you live close by in Hogsmeade and have unlimited access to _Hogwarts_. Is that how he's been getting in?" His voice did lower a bit now, accompanied by a vicious sneer. "Let's see ... you moved there when? In August, just after he escaped." He answered his own question with unbridled glee. "What do you say, if the Ministry were to pay you a little visit, that they would find him living in your house?"

"I'd say you drank too much firewhiskey," I retorted. "That's ridiculous. How on earth could I hide Sirius all this time? Even if I wanted to," I added, knowing he would never believe this. "He hasn't _exactly_ been in touch."

"Oh, to be sure," Snape replied, amused and entirely unconvinced. "Why feel the need to keep your marriage a secret, though, if you've done nothing wrong?"

I paused, thinking fast. I hated to tell him it was because of James, fearing that he would want to retaliate against him, an innocent child. But maybe I could appeal to whatever tiny scraps of goodness might exist somewhere in him. Surely he wouldn't want to hurt a mere boy who had done nothing wrong.

"To protect my son, who has no control over who his parents are," I said evenly.

"Ah. Well, that's unfortunate. I'm afraid poor James may yet wind up in the crossfire, once it's commonly known who you are. Have a nice day." With a contemptuous smile, he turned abruptly, robes swirling as he began to walk away. I was wrong, apparently. Now, more than ever, I needed to speak to Dumbledore, hoping he could run interference.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Dumbledore listened to me patiently as I worried aloud over Snape's threats. He was silent until I finished, then spoke delicately. "Laura, maybe it is time for the Ministry to know about this." He signaled for me to keep quiet as he continued. This wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for. "Perhaps if _I _spoke to Cornelius Fudge and told him, that might make a difference. I'm afraid I cannot exercise much control over what Professor Snape does outside Hogwarts, but if I manage to beat him to the punch, so to speak, it should help your case. After all, you _aren't _harboring Sirius Black in your home, are you?" He raised his eyebrows delicately.

"Well, no, I'm not," I answered. _Technically speaking__, at least, _I thought, and for a moment the headmaster seemed to appear amused. But he quickly reverted to an impassive expression. "So you think this is a _good _idea?" I continued. "What about James? Snape didn't seem to care if it affected James at all."

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, now, _that_ is an area under my control. Professor Snape knows he is not allowed to divulge information about a student if I forbid it. It wouldn't hurt to give him a gentle reminder, though, would it?"

"What if he does, anyway?" I pressed on, thinking Snape would do whatever he wanted.

"He won't," he answered confidently.

"So, you _are _going to tell the ministry I'm married to Sirius? What if they decide to use me as bait or something, to catch him?" It was yet another reason I wanted them to remain ignorant.

He shook his head. "I still think that will be the best course of action. I'm amazed they don't already know. Well," he amended after pondering it, "maybe not. There are so many divisions within the Ministry and they don't exactly interact well with muggles. Politics and a general distrust for the 'other side', if you get my meaning. But I believe I won't have any trouble convincing Fudge not to try and use you to get to Sirius." He seemed supremely unconcerned about this, but I wasn't so sure. "Though I will warn you, they would watch you very closely from now on." We were both silent for a moment.

"You and Sirius were married in the muggle fashion, correct?" he asked curiously.

"Yes. I asked if he wanted to have the ceremony done by a wizard, but he wanted me to be as comfortable with it as possible. I didn't get the impression that the ceremonies were that much different, though."

"Where was it? In a registry office?" he asked, now more interested.

"No, in a church, actually. St. Olaf's in Wasdale Head. James and Lily were the only other people there, besides the vicar."

"Ah, well ... I'm sure it was beautiful. But getting back to the ministry, I believe I can convince Cornelius to be, er, calm about things. He will be told you had absolutely no contact with Sirius for the twelve years that he remained in Azkaban. They will want to talk to you, though," he added, and I shot him a look of alarm. I didn't want to have to try to hide from anyone my current relationship with Sirius. I would have to tell him to stay away all the time, now. "But don't worry," he continued. "I will be sure to attend if that is the case."

The thought of his presence eased my mind considerably. I was still worried, though. What if they brought a legilimens who could read my thoughts? What if they found out I was pregnant? This part scared me more than anything. Then I thought of Harry and how angry he had been at Christmastime. Apparently _he_ had decided not to reveal my secret, at least. As long as James was protected, though, I could handle the rest of the fallout.

"You haven't mentioned Sirius," I commented as I was about to leave his office. "I figured you would be questioning me again about the latest break-in."

"No, I haven't. I don't really believe you would encourage him to be doing those kinds of things," he said. "To be honest, I'm confident you would do everything in your power to keep him from behaving so foolishly if you knew ahead of time." He looked speculatively at me. "Does he understand the consequences of his actions?"

"Yes," I said, not bothering to pretend I hadn't seen him. "But I stand by what I told you before. Harry is not who he's after, and I don't believe for a minute he would try to harm any other student."

"Yes, well, on that subject I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree. How was your trip to London?"

I gave him a vague overview of my three weeks there, and as usual, he watched me as if he knew much more than I had told him. I knew he was a legilimens, himself, and wondered if he had been practicing on me.

And on that note, I said goodbye and left his office, walking slowly down the winding stairs, pausing as a slight wave of nausea overtook me. Then it passed and I went on. I hoped fervently this part of pregnancy would be over with soon, though I still had no plan for dealing with the next phase, when I would begin to show. There was still time to worry about that, though, later.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I walked out of the headmaster's wing of the castle, wanting to go somewhere quiet to think. I had nothing else to do for a while, so I thought I would take the trail that led to the lake, and clear my head before meeting Professor Flitwick for a charms lesson.

It was fairly breezy and cool, being mid-March, but I pulled my coat on and walked outside anyway. I followed the dirt path, still covered in dead leaves. It wound its way down until I was standing next to the water, which lapped against the shoreline gently despite the wind.

I found a good, relatively dry place to sit, and looked out over the water, still worrying over the thought of a visit from the Ministry. I should have expected and prepared for it long before now, but had convinced myself that I wasn't going to be bothered by them after all this time. Certain precautions would now have to be taken. Sirius' clothes that weren't packed in boxes already would have to be put away. I would be forced to come up with another way of getting food to him. Unfortunately no bright ideas presented themselves in that department just now; I would have to think further about that one.

I thought back to my conversation with Dumbledore, and consequently our wedding which had taken place in March of 1980. With a jolt, I realized that it was almost my anniversary. Only a few days away, and I had almost forgotten it; the twenty-second. I wondered offhand if Sirius remembered, and I idly fingered my engagement ring and wedding band. The thought of that day fourteen years ago brought a fierce wave of nostalgia. We had returned to the Wasdale Head Inn and a nearby church for the ceremony, almost as a joke, for when we had been there a few months before in December, the weather had been so vicious that he had proposed to me in bed. A fond memory, _that. _

_We left the pub on the ground floor and returned to our bedroom. After our long conversation where he had admitted he wanted to make me his wife, I was walking on air, in spite of the sober warnings of Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters. They seemed unreal, almost mythical, and so far away, but Sirius was very real and right in front of me. And he was mine. It was rather late now, so we made ready for bed. The room was quiet. No radio nor television; just us, which suited me fine. Removing our clothes, we quickly submerged ourselves under the thick blanket. The room was chilly, but his body warmed me as he wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me close to him. "I meant it," he said softly, "about marrying you. What do _you_ want, though, Laura?" He kissed my mouth gently and languorously before letting me answer. Then the kiss went on, increasing in intensity, until we were both breathless and he was on top of me. His long hair fell over my face as he relentlessly took my mouth with his own, and his beard was rough against my skin. "You're mine," he whispered savagely, going deep inside me. Later, when we were finished, I laid with my head on his chest, still sweating from the exertion. "God, I love you," I said, splaying my fingers over his chest. "And I love you. This isn't the way I'd planned to ask you," he said, "but I did a lousy job of taking the weather into account." I felt the deep vibration of his words and his thudding heartbeat in my ear. "Will you marry me?" he asked. I looked up at him and tried to think of the perfect thing to say, but any words I had seemed inadequate. "Yes. I want to be your wife, Sirius. More than anything."_

xxxxx

"_Well, we have to get married here, of course," Sirius said solemnly the next morning, tracing my fingers with his own. I observed him for some sign he was joking. Then he broke down and laughed. "You should see your expression," he said, grinning at me. _

"_So you think I'm opposed to the idea?" I asked indignantly. "What if I want to get married here?"_

"_I'd marry you anywhere," he answered. "But this place has turned out to be, er, rather unpredictable." He gestured out the window, where he had opened the curtains to see more snow, and lots of it, falling._

"_Good thing I'm marrying a wizard, then," I said, sitting up next to him, "and things like that don't matter as much. Not like we have to drive here or anything." _

"_No, though it would be a hell of a ride on my motorcycle over Hardknott Pass. That would be amazing. Maybe in the summer, though," he added, looking ruefully out at the snow again._

"_You want to get married in the summer?" I asked. I had rather hoped it would be sooner. As soon as possible, as far as I was concerned._

"_Oh no, I could do that tomorrow," he said, sitting up himself and kissing my shoulder. "But we have to arrange a few things. Do you really want to do that here? Get married, I mean."_

"_Well, I'd definitely want a place with significant sentimental value, and now, it certainly qualifies," I said, smiling at him. "Here or Regent's Park, but that might be harder to manage." I was only half kidding._

"_There's a church close by here, an old one. I thought you might like to be married there." _

"_You've been there?" I was surprised. He'd never been the churchgoing type, as far as I knew._

"_No. I asked the innkeeper," he replied. I was pleased; he'd clearly not been quite as spontaneous about this as I had thought initially. He pulled me closer and I could feel his warmth next to me. "I have something to give you, then, as you'll be my wife soon." He took his wand and murmured, "_Accio coat,"_ and immediately it landed softly on the bed. He felt around a few pockets, then, finding the right one, pulled out a small ornate wooden box. "Give me your hand," he said, kissing my cheek softly. I did as he asked, and he opened the lid on the box. I caught a brief glimpse of a glittering object, then he took it out and placed it on my finger. Before I could even get a look at it, though, he clasped his hand over mine and said gently, "I hope you don't think I'm being impulsive about this. I've known for a long time."_

_I smiled at him. "So have I. First time I ever saw you, I couldn't take my eyes off you. Nor ever since." He looked slightly abashed at this for some reason, but then he removed his hand, so I could see my ring. It was lovely and unusual; an asymmetrical, slightly opaque stone, in a pale yellow hue encased in a platinum bezel. The band was thick with tiny diamonds circling around it. "I hope you like it ... it's an uncut diamond, which is why it looks a bit rough." He seemed worried that I would be displeased, but I would have cherished anything he had given me. "No, it is absolutely beautiful, and I love it." I examined it on my hand, then kissed him again. "I love you. Thank you."_

The wind had picked up by now, and I was forced out of my daydream, realizing that I had unconsciously been twirling the ring in question around my finger. It had now been joined for fourteen years by a thick platinum band, relatively plain in comparison and a bit worn, but no less valuable to me. I checked my watch and decided I still had plenty of time to make it back up to the castle for my lesson. I was enjoying the memories the ring had evoked. Right now, though, I needed to write Sirius a quick note of warning, especially after my conversation with Dumbledore.


	22. Remembering Vows

Sirius stood, as usual, at the mouth of the cave he was staying in. _Existing in, more like, _he thought glumly. He had told his wife once that he felt like a ghost, and that was more true now than ever before. After his escape and up until last month he had felt he had a purpose, which was to catch Pettigrew. Now that chance was gone, and would never return. He was long over his anger with Laura, but now he wondered what was left for him. _To leave the country, _was the answer that kept coming back to him. He thought about how to accomplish that with his wife. Would she really be willing to pick up and move somewhere far away, with James at Hogwarts? And how would they go about convincing James that he wasn't the horrible person that everyone believed? He still had no solutions coming to mind, and sighed irritably. He only knew he couldn't continue this way much longer.

Then he noticed a small shape flying toward him. It was buffeted by the wind, but doggedly continued its flight toward him. He realized it was an owl, a small one used for local deliveries. He watched it coming closer until it landed in front of him, holding a letter in its tiny beak. Sirius bent down and took it, brushing the bird's feathers with a finger, then watched it fly off, rising unsteadily back into the wind.

He tore open the envelope and looked at it. The jumbled mess of letters and rune symbols made no sense, but he knew it was from his wife. He took his wand and waved it over the letter, and immediately the words became legible. He and Laura had created this code after she had returned from London, pointing their wand tips together, with Sirius reciting a charm which made a unique language decipherable only to them.

_21 March _

_Sirius,_

_Stay away for now. I'm okay but can't see you; too dangerous. Nothing for you to worry about, promise. Afraid I'll be watched by Ministry...if they don't know by now I'm your wife, they will soon. But Dumbledore will help me, so please stay where you are. Have to find a safe way to get food to you. Will try to use owls unless you think it's a bad idea. Happy anniversary, darling. Tomorrow's the day. You make me very happy and I love you._

_Laura_

When he finished reading, Sirius realized with a jolt that his anniversary was, in fact, tomorrow. He felt sad; how on earth he could make her happy in his current state was unfathomable. He wished he could get her something to mark the occasion, especially since they had celebrated exactly one anniversary in their fourteen year marriage, and that one had been thirteen years before. Also, despite her assurances, he worried about the things that remained unsaid in her letter. Exactly how had the ministry found her? He had been anxious about that possibility in the past, but with the absence of a threat from them over the previous months, he had ceased to think about it for the most part.

He decided he had to speak to her at least once, to ease his mind. He would do that tonight, then worry about resuming his hiding from the Ministry. Then he reread the letter, going back to her mention of their anniversary. Another reason to visit her tonight. He was determined to make this one memorable.

xxxxx

The wind had picked up since the owl left, and Sirius stepped back into the cave, slumping down on the dirt floor, utterly bored. At least Laura had provided some books for him. He didn't feel like reading now, though. He glanced down at his ring, which had replaced the first one. That one had disappeared with his entrance into Azkaban. He had wanted desperately to keep it with him, but everything he had on his person had been taken away. He remembered the wretched agony of that day; how he had hoped by some miracle she would come for him, and everyone would know he had been wronged by the traitor Pettigrew. But days went by and the horrible realization slowly struck him that he was stuck here and would never leave. Dementors had attacked him at once, but he quickly found that transforming into a dog kept them at bay. He used this to his advantage; he could always tell when a human was about to make a visit. The atmosphere would lighten considerably, since anyone who wasn't an inmate could not bear to enter the cellblocks with the disgusting creatures present. On these occasions Sirius would be sure to remain a person, malignantly staring down anyone who came by. For more than a year, when this happened, he retained a glimmer of hope that the visitor might be his wife, come to release him, but it never was. Eventually there was no hope left in his soul, and he knew she must have forgotten him and moved on. The worst thing about Azkaban, though, wasn't the dementors. For years, he would continue to have dreams so sweet about them that he would believe fervently that they were together and happy, and prison had never happened. Then he would wake up.

Shuddering with the remembrance, Sirius came back to the present. At least this existence, cold and lonely though it may be at times, was a vast improvement. He decided to remember something more cheerful, and the anniversary mention in his wife's letter was a good place to start. His mind went back to their wedding, which had taken place in a village in the Lake District. He hadn't meant to have it there especially, but Laura had made the final decision. That had been a chilly day, as well. A strong wind blew up through the valley in the shadow of Sca Fell, and he, Laura, James and Lily had apparated to just outside the church, in the shadows. Sirius had already arranged a special license, since neither of them lived in the area, and had spoken to the minister for permission to marry there. After working out the details, this was the day.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"_Right, Laura. If things go horribly wrong with Sirius, you know where to find Lily and me," James joked, putting an arm casually around her. She laughed. "Um, thanks?" Sirius rolled his eyes at James, and said, "I'm sure that won't be necessary." They walked into the small church, looking around. Nobody was present but the vicar, who was startled at their appearance, but smiled at them._

_"I didn't hear anyone drive up," he commented, looking curiously at them. _

_Sirius and James ignored this, James taking the vicar aside, ostensibly to ask him a few questions. Laura watched Sirius and Lily take their wands out, and bathe the sanctuary in candlelight. The poor clergyman eventually came in, flummoxed by the presence of candles everywhere, but didn't say anything else. Laura disappeared into the restroom to freshen up, followed by Lily, who was now slightly uncomfortable in her fifth month of pregnancy. Sirius and James sat in a pew, waiting. The vicar had disappeared temporarily into his office after a last nervous look at the pair._

"_Ready, Padfoot?" James asked, clapping him on the back supportively. _

"_Oh yeah. Do you have the ring?" _

_James patted his pocket, then fished out the band, showing Sirius. "Bit of lint on it, but it's there," he said, grinning. "We're happy for you," he said, changing the subject. "She seems so different than most muggles, _and _madly in love with you." _

"_I sort of hoped so," Sirius said, amused. "I'm madly in love, myself." _

_Lily and Laura walked down the aisle of the nave to where Sirius and James sat. Laura seemed suddenly nervous, but smiled at Sirius and put her hand on his shoulder. "Be right back." She walked back to where the vicar had disappeared to, creamy lace swirling around her legs. He wondered what was going on. A few minutes later she returned._

"_Ready, darling? Everything alright?" he asked, standing. She nodded, a bit shyly. Just then, the vicar emerged from his study and, seeing the two couples together, asked, "Shall we get started?"_

_The lack of formality prior to the service was replaced by respectful silence as the two couples moved before the minister. James and Lily stood on either side of them, and the clergyman began to speak._

**D**EARLY beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this, er, congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee; and is commended of Saint Paul to be honourable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that have no understanding; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God; duly considering the causes for which Matrimony was ordained.

First, It was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy Name.

Secondly, It was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons as have not the gift of continency might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body.

Thirdly, It was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity. Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can shew any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.

_There was a pause as James and Lily stood silently. The vicar continued._

Sirius Black, wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded Wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?

_Sirius clasped Laura's hand tightly, looked at her, and said softly,_ I will.

_The minister turned to Laura._

Laura Yvette Ketron, wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded Husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?

_She looked back at Sirius, the corners of her mouth turned up with humor after the mention of "obey." It was a little joke they had shared_. I will_,_ _she said, and did smile now._

_The vicar said, _Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?

_They hadn't thought of this. James cleared his throat as Sirius and Laura looked over at him. _Er, Lily and I do. _Sirius__ could see laughter in his eyes but thankfully he kept his face solemn._

_The couple scooted up a bit closer to the minister, who then asked Sirius to recite his vows. He held her right hand as he spoke._

I, Sirius, take thee, Laura, to my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.

_Then it was her turn._

I, Laura, take thee, Sirius, to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth.

_James took the ring out of his pocket and handed it to the vicar, who then gave it to Sirius. He slid the heavy band on her finger, and he felt the warmth of her hand under his._

With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

_Then it was Laura's turn. Lily handed her a ring for Sirius and she repeated the same vows, her voice now trembling. _

Let us pray, _the minister said soberly._

**O** ETERNAL God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life; Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this Man and this Woman, whom we bless in thy Name; that, as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof this Ring given and received by both is a token and pledge, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen._

_He joined their hands together and continued._

Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

_Then he addressed James and Lily._

**F**ORASMUCH as Sirius and Laura have consented together in holy Wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a Ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be Man and Wife together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

_Then he added a blessing._

**G**OD the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favour look upon you; and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. _Amen._

_The vicar said, _I will now read from Psalm 128.

**B**LESSED are all they that fear the Lord: and walk in his ways.  
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: O well is thee, and happy shalt thou be.  
Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine: upon the walls of thine house;  
Thy children like the olive-branches: round about thy table.  
Lo, thus shall the man be blessed: that feareth the Lord.  
The Lord from out of Sion shall so bless thee: that thou shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity all thy life long;  
Yea, that thou shalt see thy children's children: and peace upon Israel.  
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;  
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

_He gestured for them to kneel in front of the altar. Sirius thought briefly of the children the minister had mentioned, and imagined Laura's belly looking like that of Lily. He smiled at her as she watched him intently._

**O** GOD of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless these thy servants, and sow the seed of eternal life in their hearts; that whatsoever in thy holy Word they shall profitably learn, they may in deed fulfil the same. Look, O Lord, mercifully upon them from heaven, and bless them. And as thou didst send thy blessing upon Abraham and Sarah, to their great comfort, so vouchsafe to send thy blessing upon these thy servants; that they obeying thy will, and alway being in safety under thy protection, may abide in thy love unto their lives' end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen._

**O** MERCIFUL Lord, and heavenly Father, by whose gracious gift mankind is increased; We beseech thee, assist with thy blessing these two persons, that they may both be fruitful in procreation of children, and also live together so long in godly love and honesty, that they may see their children christianly and virtuously brought up, to thy praise and honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen._

**O** GOD, who by thy mighty power hast made all things of nothing; who also, after other things set in order, didst appoint, that out of man (created after thine own image and similitude) woman should take her beginning; and, knitting them together, didst teach that it should never be lawful to put asunder those whom thou by Matrimony hadst made one: O God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church; Look mercifully upon these thy servants, that both this man may love his wife, according to thy Word, (as Christ did love his spouse the Church, who gave himself for it, loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh,) and also that this woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband; and in all quietness, sobriety, and peace, be a follower of holy and godly matrons. O Lord, bless them both, and grant them to inherit thy everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen._

_There was silence. The minister looked expectantly at the new couple, who glanced at each other, then back at him. _May, uh, may I kiss her now? _Sirius asked, bemused._

Oh, absolutely, _the vicar said, shockingly informal all of a sudden. _Go for it, mate.

_Sirius laughed out loud, then put a hand gently on either side of her face, beaming at his new wife, and pressed his lips against hers. He then put his mouth against her ear and whispered, _My beautiful wife. I love you. _He kissed a tear that spilled down her cheek, tasting the salt. She whispered back, _And I love you, my handsome husband. _Then he put his arms around her and held her tightly to him._

xxxxxx

_"Bloody hell, Sirius! That guy was long-winded. Got three years of bible lessons taken care of in one hour." James didn't mind at all taking the piss after the ceremony was over. After the two couples said their goodbyes and extinguished the candles, they walked outside, holding the necessary paperwork from the ceremony carefully._

_"Lunch, right?" Lily asked. Then we'll leave you alone," she added, grinning wickedly. They walked around to their original apparition point, and repeated the spells, this time going to the inn._

_After they had settled into a table, Sirius glanced at the ring on his hand; the unfamiliar weight now tied him to his new wife. He was eager for James and Lily to be on their way. He hadn't told anyone, including Laura, where they would be going for their honeymoon. During lunch, he kept a casual arm around her as they conversed, and she leaned into him unconsciously. Finally, James nudged Lily. "Time for us to go, dear." She winced as the baby suddenly kicked, and James touched his hand briefly to her belly, hoping to feel it move. Then they all stood and exchanged hugs and kisses. The Potters offered their congratulations again, then the two couples left the building for a spot where they wouldn't be seen. _

_After James and Lily apparated, Sirius and Laura stood in the spot for a moment. Then he pulled her close and kissed her again, this time more fiercely than the gentle kiss during the ceremony. It seemed to go on forever. "I want to make love to my wife," he whispered as she clung to him, thoroughly excited and breathless now. "Let's go," he said._

_"I thought we were staying here," she exclaimed. _

_"No, we're going somewhere a bit warmer," he said, smiling. "You'll see when we get there."_

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius smiled inwardly at the beautiful memory, thankful that dementors hadn't managed to take it from him. The thought of that last kiss made him ache uncomfortably, wanting to see Laura. He knew the smart thing to do was wait until nightfall, but he desperately needed to get out of this cave so he could go to her. Maybe he would risk it this once; then he would be more careful from now on.


	23. Not Exactly the Anniversary We Expected

I gave my wand a tap, unlocking the front door, and stumbled in. Kicking the door shut, I struggled to get into the kitchen before dropping every bag of groceries in my arms. I left several items out to make dinner with and looked wistfully at a bottle of wine that sat on the counter. Aberforth, bless him, had given me some goats' milk while I was out, and I poured a glass of it instead, downing it quickly. Then I turned around and almost shrieked in fright to see Sirius standing in the doorway, watching me.

"Holy shit! I wasn't expecting you until much later," I said as he took me in his arms and held me close. My pulse was still racing.

"I apparated here after I got your letter. And what do you mean, expected me? You told me to stay away," he answered with his arms still around me. He spied a bag of crisps and opened it, munching hungrily. "Thankth for getting thome food," he said with his mouth full. "I wath tharving."

"I have _no_ idea what you just said. I just knew you would show up anyway. Mmmm, you smell good," I inhaled his scent euphorically and kissed his neck.

"I'll have to shower more often, then," he replied, grinning and rummaging for another crisp. Then he grew serious. "What's this about the ministry?"

"Oh, that. Well, turns out that Snape guy is incredibly nosy."

Sirius snorted. "Yes, I'm familiar with that particular quality of his. What's _Snivellus _done, though?"

"Well, he went to London to dig around, and found out I'm married to _you_, for one. Why he waited until now though is beyond me, not that I'm complaining, mind. Then he approached me, ever so kindly, and offered to tell the ministry that your wife is living in Hogsmeade and most likely harboring a convicted murderer." I said all this lightly, but in truth I was fairly worried for us both.

He ran his fingers through his damp hair distractedly. "Merlin, I can't let the ministry hurt you. God knows what they'll try. Anything to get at me, probably."

"However," I continued, "I talked to Dumbledore right after my run-in with Snivellus, and he said he should probably tell them about us, to beat Snape to it. Thought it would sound better coming from him. And if they _did _try anything, he would be there to deflect it. Not sure exactly how, though."

Sirius looked increasingly worried. "Laura, you don't know how these people think. They will do _anything_, though it's usually the wrong thing, when they suspect anyone of dark wizardry."

"Listen. Can we put this aside for a while, at least? I wanted to make dinner for us both tonight. We've not celebrated this event in ..."

"Thirteen years. I know. Alright. But I'm not leaving you to deal with them alone," he said stubbornly.

"And I'm not risking you getting kissed by a dementor. So let's just not talk about it right now, okay?"

He stood motionless for a moment, then finally nodded reluctantly. "So how are you feeling?" He moved behind me and wrapped his hands around my belly, which hadn't yet began to show evidence of what was inside.

"Okay. The nausea's gotten a bit better. Still feel like sleeping all the time, though." I knew he was interested in all the pregnancy minutiae, and regretful about not being a part of it with James. I was still in some distress over this baby and all its ramifications, but I wanted to know something.

"Have you thought of any names?" I asked, turning to face him. "I thought I'd let you pick this one. Of course I do get final approval," I joked, smiling slyly.

He shrugged. "Not a one. I'm very happy with the job you did last time. Maybe you should name this one, as well." He seemed a bit depressed, and no wonder. We still had no idea what was going to happen between now and then.

"Alright then. Help me fix dinner, honey." I changed the subject and we set about preparing our meal.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

That night, we laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling which Sirius had enchanted to appear starry.

"This beats the hell out of camping," he murmured sleepily as a meteor shot across the ceiling. I chuckled. Then we both laid there silently.

"You okay?" I asked. "Please don't worry about this ministry thing. It'll be alright," I said with more confidence than I felt.

"Can't help it. So help me, I'll kill _Snivellus_ if something happens to you. God, can't he leave us alone?" His voice seethed with hatred.

"Let's forget Snivellus. I want to celebrate our anniversary. I know it's tomorrow, but still ..." I sat up on my elbows and looked at him, seeing the outline of his face in the near darkness.

"Laura, do you regret ... anything?"

The question caught me off guard. "About us?"

"Yes."

"Just the obvious. That we've been apart for so long. That you've been through so much hell. I wish I could take all that away, for you."

"Some times I feel so ... broken. Ruined. I regret a lot of things. Not telling you more about the Order ... not preparing you better for the dangers. All I could think about was how much I wanted you. How selfish of me." He sounded so bitter.

"Sirius, listen carefully. I don't regret marrying you. Not ever. I could never have found a more wonderful man to be with. In spite of everything that's happened, _which is not your fault_, by the way, you are the only man I've ever loved. And still love. I just want you to heal. You are a good person and you deserve happiness. You were not being selfish, back then. We were both in love, and I knew things could go bad. You did warn me. I wanted to be your wife, regardless."

I leaned over, close to his face. "And you're not broken, or ruined. You're very strong. I think you are holding up remarkably well, considering everything. Look at all you've been through. You were smart enough to escape from a place no one has ever escaped from. Without losing your mind after twelve long years. Even after all that, you are still a kind, sweet man who cares about others."

He changed the subject. "I've been thinking ... about what to do next. I'll obviously need to leave the country. I don't know where to go, though. The wizarding world is a rather small community; it could be that people in other countries have heard of me; I dunno."

"What about America?" I asked, trying to picture James at a wizarding school there and briefly wondering if he would be happy.

"It's an option, of course." He didn't seem too excited about the prospect. "We'll see." He rolled on his side facing me and said, "Do you mind if we wait until morning to make love?" He seemed fairly morose now.

"No ... that's okay," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. I had been thinking about him, and us, all afternoon and the thought of not celebrating in that way was a real let-down. "Good night," I said, and kissed him quickly. Then I rolled over facing the other way. The starry sky charm must have worn off, for at the same time, stars and planets began extinguishing themselves one by one until the ceiling was dark. Sirius was silent, but kissed my shoulder and turned in the opposite direction, too.

In the middle of the night, I woke up suddenly. At first I couldn't tell what had awakened me, but then I noticed Sirius sitting bolt upright in the bed, head in his hands. He was moaning.

"What is it?" I tried to put an arm around him, but he shook violently and didn't seem to notice.

"Bad dream," he finally said miserably. " It's alright. Not the first time I've had it since leaving Azkaban." He didn't mention the contents of the nightmare, but spent a few minutes hunched over, trying to collect himself. Then he laid back down, pulling me close to him, and put a hand on my cheek. "Laura, I can't let them do that to you." I kissed his face, feeling salty wetness on my lips.

"It's okay. Nothing's going to happen to either of us," I said softly. I put an arm around his waist. After a while, I could tell he had fallen asleep again, and I drifted off myself.

When I awoke, early the next morning, I halfway expected him to be gone. But then I felt the warmth of his body next to mine, and heard his even breathing. He was finally sleeping peacefully, I was glad to see. I laid there for a while, thinking about our conversation the night before. Then, sighing, I got up to make coffee, realizing there was no way I could go back to sleep now.

Sliding a robe on, I padded down the hallway and into the kitchen. The clock said almost seven. Still pretty early yet. As the coffee was brewing, I wandered around the room, looking outside where it was drizzling again.

Then, I heard a heavy thud at the front door and my heart stopped. I tiptoed over to a window and peered out. I could make out a few shapes at the door, when one of them knocked again, more loudly. I ran to the bedroom and shook Sirius. "Sirius," I hissed, "make yourself a dog. Now!"

He slowly opened his eyes, then looked at me with alarm as another heavy vibration shook the front door. Someone was knocking hard.

"Dog! Now!" I whispered. He blinked a few times, trying to wake up, then transformed quickly. I looked furtively around the room for any evidence of his presence, and spotted some clothing lying over the back of a chair. I raced up to the spare room where his things had been stored, and stuffed the clothing in a box. The knocking was more insistent now, and Sirius/Padfoot began to growl menacingly.

"Stop!" I whispered, and he glared malevolently in the general direction of the noise. "Stay in here."

I touched his head and went back to the other part of the house. Now I could hear voices talking outside but they weren't loud enough to distinguish words. Looking frantically around the other rooms, I didn't immediately see anything incriminating. I went to the door, gripping my wand.

"Who is it?" I called out before opening.

"Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic," a muffled voice proclaimed impatiently. Apparently he wasn't used to waiting. I felt a bit weak in the knees. _Minister for Magic?_

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door slowly and peeked out into the drizzly mist. As promised, there stood the headmaster with a portly man I had never seen before.

"Come in," I said, trying not to appear nervous, but my knees were practically shaking. Both men walked in quickly out of the chill, and the headmaster gave me a polite smile. Fudge, however, was looking surreptitiously around the room as if expecting Sirius Black to come storming out any time, guns blazing, so to speak.

Dumbledore spoke first. "I apologize for the early hour, Laura."

"Oh ... well, I was up anyway. Um, how can I help you?" I asked, suddenly realizing my hair must look like a rat's nest. I ran my fingers through it in an attempt to tame it, but it probably didn't help any.

"As I said, I am the Minister for Magic," Fudge stated, then paused for effect.

"I heard you," I said politely. "Would you like some coffee?"

Professor Dumbledore spoke again. "That would be lovely, thank you."

He eyed Fudge. "Yes, please," the Minister finally said, after looking around the room once more.

I fixed cups and saucers for them and motioned for them to sit on the couch.

"I suppose you know why we're here," Fudge sputtered, taking too big a sip of the hot coffee.

"I suppose so," I said. No point in bothering with pretense. "What do you want to know?"

"Where Sirius Black is would be a wonderful start." Fudge said the words viciously. "You've done a good job of keeping this information quiet all these years, haven't you?"

"I assumed it wasn't useful information for anyone _all these years_. I had rather enough to deal with without worrying that some Ministry of Magic was going to come after me because of who I'm married to. I didn't even know what had happened to him until I met Professor Dumbledore."

"Well, Dumbledore here has given me a bit of your background. Very interesting. You weren't aware of being a witch your entire life, yet you married a wizard." He sounded disbelieving, to say the least.

"That's true," I said simply. "Professor Dumbledore is very familiar with the whole story, and I'm sure he's told you all about it. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go put some clothes on. Need anything to go with your coffee?" Both shook their heads, and Fudge glowered at me suspiciously. I left the room and went into the bedroom where Sirius/Padfoot was. I could hear the low murmur of voices coming from the sitting room, and patted the dog in reassurance. He watched me closely. "Everything's okay so far," I whispered.

I took my robe off and changed, quickly returning to my guests. "What else?" I asked, knowing Fudge wouldn't let up any time soon. I sat down across from them, determined to appear an open book.

"Tell me about your marriage to Sirius."

"Dead in the water. I haven't had a relationship with him since before Azkaban. I didn't know what happened when he was taken away. I eventually moved on. Our son doesn't know him." I rattled off the words, mostly blatant lies, listlessly. Dumbledore knew differently, of course, about some things, but evidently had chosen not to tell Fudge.

"Why are you still married to him, then?"

"I dunno. Just, um, haven't gotten around to ending it." I mentally cringed. That sounded ridiculous.

"Have you seen Black?" Fudge demanded.

"Yes," I answered. "On the way to Hogwarts one day."

"You have?" He sounded incredulous. I nodded. I guessed the headmaster hadn't told him this either. I decided it was best to stick to the truth wherever possible.

"What happened?"

"It was a long time ago. He approached me wanting food, and told me he was innocent. Begged me to believe him."

Fudge snorted. "And you did believe him, of course. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

I shrugged. "He left very quickly. By the time I would have made it to the castle to tell anyone, he'd have been long gone. You already knew he was in the general area. But yes, I thought his explanation was certainly plausible. I did tell him to leave me alone, though. I have my son's welfare to worry about."

"And the explanation was...?" He looked even more skeptical than before, if that was possible.

"Peter Pettigrew is the one working for Lord Voldemort. He faked his death that day, killed all those muggles, betrayed the Potters, and left Sirius to take the blame."

"Ah, that's a good one. And just how did Pettigrew escape?"

I felt defeated. Why even bother telling him? I did, though, anyway. "He is an animagus. He transformed into a rat and escaped into a sewer."

"That is the most preposterous thing I have ever heard! You mean to tell me you believe this?"

"Yes, I do." I resigned myself for his next response. "I've seen Pettigrew."

"Oh, really? When?" Fudge was amused, but the headmaster didn't look very surprised for some reason.

"Last month. He's been living as a rat with a wizarding family ever since 1981. Their son has him for a pet and goes to Hogwarts."

"So you've talked to Pettigrew? Mmm-hmmm."

"Not exactly. I, um, found him and took him to someone who could positively identify him."

"A-ha! You've seen Sirius Black, then, again!"

"It was actually someone else, at the school."

"And who might that be?" He sounded interested, in spite of himself.

"Professor Lupin. He knew Pettigrew could transform. He had been friends with him in school, and recognized him when I took the rat to him." I spoke colourlessly, knowing these words wouldn't make a dent with either man. But I couldn't help trying.

Dumbledore spoke up for the first time. "Laura," he said quietly, "I have spoken to Professor Lupin myself. A few weeks back. I asked him about your story regarding Pettigrew being an animagus, since, as we know, they were friends. He denied knowing anything about that." He looked at me rather sympathetically. I was too stunned for words. Remus Lupin _lied _about this? How could he?

When I finally found my voice, it was shaky. "Well, he certainly agreed well enough who it was at the time." _The lying bastard. _ What the hell was he playing at, anyway?

"Well, the 'rat' is nowhere to be found," Fudge said smugly. "What's your story for that?"

I was still slack jawed from the shock about Lupin, so his question didn't register at first. Finally, I blinked and said, "There was a dungbomb that went off in the hallway. We both rushed out there, and when we came back in a few minutes later, he had disappeared. The cage door was wide open." I was thinking how much I'd love to get my hands on Remus Lupin. And strangle him.

"That was very convenient," he sneered. I didn't bother responding. But I was no longer frightened of Fudge.

"Are you done with me? Because if you are, there's the door."

He glanced at Dumbledore, who said nothing more. "Well, not _quite._ I'm sure you won't mind if we have a look around."

I shrugged. "I don't give a shit. Do whatever."

He was taken aback by the crude language, but I didn't care. He and Dumbledore rose, and I wouldn't look at either of them. The house wasn't that large, so it didn't take long for them to make a pass through it. I walked ahead of them, though, a bit fearful of what might happen when they saw the dog.

Fudge peeked into my bedroom after I walked in, and started, seeing Padfoot on the bed.

"That's an enormous dog you have," he said, offhand. The dog growled ominously, and I shushed him as Fudge looked offended. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to Padfoot. Dumbledore gave him a curious glance, though. Then, as my heart beat wildly, they moved on.

"What's his name?" Fudge asked, walking into James' bedroom and checking out some model airplanes on his shelf.

"James," I said exasperatedly.

"I meant the dog!" he said impatiently.

"Oh. Snuffles."

"Curious name for such a large beast." I shrugged again.

He opened the door to my spare room and looked about at the various boxes. "I'll just take a look in some of these, if that's alright," he said. I had left the box containing Sirius' clothes partially open, and he checked it first.

"Men's clothing," he said smugly.

"Yes. Sirius' old stuff."

"And why would you still have that?" he demanded.

"I put it in boxes after he left, and it sat in my attic for years. When I moved here, I just had all boxes shipped with me. I didn't realize I'd even brought it until later, when I was looking for something else."

Eventually they completed their tour of the house and returned to the front room. Fudge seemed disappointed that he wasn't able to personally apprehend Sirius himself. I wondered why he had even bothered with me instead of sending a Ministry grunt. I supposed they would pull out all the stops, though, considering the prisoner in question.

He remained standing as he took another sip of coffee. "Well then, I almost forgot. Could you please explain why you purchased a wand for your husband last August?" I almost dropped the coffee cup in my hand. I hadn't expected him to know this.

"What do you mean? I bought a couple of wands for myself and my son." I tried to keep a neutral expression, but inside the adrenaline was coursing through my body once again. How had he known?

"I'm given to understand from Mr. Ollivander in London that you tried out a wand, your son tried out a wand, and you ordered an extra one. _And_ gave him a false name." He said this triumphantly.

"Yes, uh, I did. My son is a bit forgetful, and I ordered the extra wand so he could have it in case he lost the first one." I avoided looking at the headmaster. "And the false name was because my son needs his privacy protected. Ollivander seemed a bit too curious to me. He didn't need to know who my son's father is. I'm not sure why that was important enough for him to tell you, though."

Fudge smirked. "We contacted him after the escape asking if anyone had made a wand matching Sirius Black's old one, and he was all too eager to tell us of the Hogwarts student whose wand had the same core. Since it was a different last name, we let it go at the time. But now, knowing 'Ketron' is your maiden name and you've been married to Black all this time, it changed things a bit." He looked at me smugly, letting me digest this.

"Let me just say this," he continued. "I believe that if you aren't sheltering your husband, you are at least helping him in some capacity. If the slightest evidence comes to light that he is staying here or you are providing aid to him, you will be prosecuted to the fullest, I assure you. You wouldn't be immune from Azkaban, yourself. You'd be all alone there. Sirius has been sentenced to the dementor's kiss, as you may know already." He seemed to relish trying to frighten me. It was working, too, once again. The thought of that prison gave me a chill throughout my body.

"By the way, your neighbors will be alerted about the identity of your husband, and I'm sure they would be all too happy to let us know of any suspicious activity on your part."

Wonderful. "So I'll keep to myself. Big deal," I said morosely. It looked like Dovetown was now the place to go when I wanted anything. I doubted that once word spread about me here, I would be welcome in any local establishment. Except for maybe the Hog's Head. If I didn't get lynched first.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said, "You know I advised against this. Surely it won't help things any to have neighbors condemning her for who her husband is. And I must insist on James Black being protected. Once word gets out about her identity, he will be caught in the middle, and that is grossly unfair to him. He will be mistreated by the other students."

"Dumbledore!" Fudge protested. "It's Sirius Black we are talking about! Not a petty criminal. We must act in the best interest of the public. And frankly, I don't trust _her _one bit." He motioned with his head in my direction.

"Yes, but truthfully, it would be somewhat difficult to hide Sirius Black in this house. Sooner or later, someone would probably see him entering or leaving. He is obviously not here now, and we hadn't previously announced our visit, as _you_ requested. I'm afraid that any 'evidence' you have at this time, Cornelius, is purely circumstantial and would not hold up before the Wizengamot." The professor gave me a penetrating stare, though, and I looked down slightly, hoping he wasn't attempting legilimency. I appreciated his efforts on my behalf, but I knew his concern was really for James. I'd take it, though.

"Well ... I suppose," Fudge answered, scowling. "But we will certainly be keeping a close eye on you from now on."

"Alright," I said. After the talk of Azkaban, I really felt like throwing up. I wished they would hurry up and leave.

Then, as if in response to my thoughts, both men walked to the door.

Fudge turned, and said, "Do you still love him?"

I was surprised at the question, but couldn't bring myself to lie and say no. "I've had twelve years to get over him. My energies are concentrated on my son nowadays," I replied, evading the question. I might make a good politician.

He said nothing more, but walked out, Dumbledore following. The rain had increased, and Fudge looked distastefully at it. "Always rains here," he grumbled as he whipped out a wand. "Three Broomsticks, Albus?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I must return to Hogwarts, I'm afraid. Thank you, though. Laura, I will see you later." He smiled at me then, which I couldn't return. I was too worried about everything.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

I shut the door behind them and stood there with my back to it, thinking. I wasn't sure if it was possible now for Sirius to be a man even in the house. Was there a way for the Ministry to have it bugged? I certainly wouldn't put it past them. I walked back to the bedroom, standing in the doorway. Sirius had transformed and sat there looking at me, no expression on his face.

"Did you hear everything?" I asked him.

He nodded.

"So I guess that includes the bit about Lupin," I added. He said nothing, but nodded again. I wished he hadn't heard that part.

I walked over and sat on the bed next to him. He put his arm around mine. It felt wonderful.

"Laura, I'm going to have to leave for now, and get far away from here. I'm being selfish, wanting to be around you and putting you in this danger."

"Sirius, I want to be with you. We should both go together. I'll come back and get James when it's time for school to be out. Then we can go from there."

"I suppose that would work." He grew more encouraged. "I really don't want to leave you alone, pregnant. And it's not as if you aren't allowed to go anywhere. There's something I want to do first, but I'll need your assistance."

"Anything," I said. "What is it?"

"I want a word with Remus Lupin."


	24. Remus is Confronted, then a Celebration

This chapter rated M for sexual situations.

_Sirius_

By late morning, the rain had stopped. The pair, woman and dog, walked the road to the castle purposefully, briefly stopping at the guardhouse, then proceeding through the gate. Padfoot eventually came to a stop, and Laura leaned over, kissing his nose, and murmured something to him. Then, as he trotted off into the forest, she continued to the castle and entered through a side door.

Padfoot loped through the forest, unafraid, until he came to the spot where he and his wife would meet later. He plopped his body on the damp earth and waited patiently. He figured he would be here for a while.

Over an hour later, he heard the sounds of the snapping of twigs and footsteps on the nearby path. They grew closer, and he lifted his head, alert for the familiar voice of his wife and his former friend. It was the two of them. He began to hear snippets of conversation.

"- looks familiar. The four of us used to come out here quite often." Laura didn't reply, but continued moving along the path, until Padfoot stood and walked out in front of the two of them. Lupin stared in surprise and alarm as the dog transformed into the man he had known years ago. They stood regarding each other in silence, Lupin clearly not knowing what to say. He took in Sirius' appearance, mentally reconciling the person before him with the one he had known before. Laura stayed over to the side of the path, watching them both anxiously.

Lupin then looked over at her. "So _this _is why you brought me out here?" His expression was unreadable.

She nodded curtly. "I had a little visit from Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge this morning. When I tried to explain to Fudge about Pettigrew, Dumbledore told me something interesting. He said he asked you about Peter a few weeks back -"

Her words were interrupted by a bright burst of light from Sirius' wand. Lupin was struck in the chest and knocked promptly off his feet. He heaved himself up with fury and drew his wand quickly, throwing a jet of light back at Sirius in retaliation. Sirius swirled around, blocking it with ease. Laura yelled at both of them to stop, but Sirius was more interested in inflicting some pain. He tried another spell, but Remus was ready for him and deflected it this time. After a few more bouts of this, the two men stood breathing heavily for a moment, glaring at each other. Then Sirius gave Laura an impenetrable stare for a long moment, before slowly looking back at Lupin.

Sirius finally spoke viciously. "Remus, how could you _lie? _Knowing now what he was!" There was a note of desperation in his voice at his friend's betrayal.

Lupin looked shocked, then miserable. "Sirius, do you _really _think anyone will listen to a werewolf? I -"

"Dumbledore would! Why did you lie? I want to hear you say it," Sirius snarled, gripping his wand fiercely as if he would like nothing more than to throw another good curse at his former friend. Lupin kept his own wand out, holding it at his side defensively.

Then he sighed and looked down. "Alright, Sirius. Dumbledore came to me, asking what I knew about Peter Pettigrew. He wanted to know if Pettigrew was an animagus. It hadn't been long since Laura had brought him to me and he escaped. Well, I _panicked_. Dumbledore had been very kind to me, giving me this job when no one else would hire me, and with telling him that Peter could turn into a rat, I would have to explain everything ... all the trouble we had gotten into while at school. I would have had to tell him about _you_, Sirius, being a dog. Dumbledore would never believe Peter was the only one to learn to transform. He had gone to quite a bit of trouble just to let me come to Hogwarts as a student back then, and more recently as a professor. Some of the other teachers didn't agree with my appointment. I could just imagine how they would love to hear exactly how reckless I had been back then and how I'd betrayed Albus' trust."

Laura interrupted now incredulously. "Do you understand Sirius' _life_ is at stake here? I cannot believe that all you can think about is yourself! Do you really imagine that Dumbledore will dismiss you for telling him this?"

He looked ashamed, but managed to say, "I think there's a good chance. But as I said, I was totally caught off guard by his questioning. Maybe- maybe I would have answered differently if I had been prepared for it. But it's done now. Look, even if Dumbledore believes me, he would never convince Fudge or anyone in the Ministry. I suppose I decided it was hopeless." He ran his fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes.

Sirius still held his wand tightly, but didn't look quite as angry. He knew exactly how hard things had always been for Remus. His expression now was more resigned. "Don't you think, though, if Dumbledore knows the truth, he can protect the students better? He would at least know _I'm_ not a threat to them. Laura has tried to tell him already, but I'm sure he didn't believe her."

"Well, Sirius, you did break into the castle twice with a knife. What else would he think? Although I can't believe I didn't realize how you were doing it before." He looked rather impressed.

Something else had occurred to Sirius. "Was it you who set Peter free after Laura caught him?" he asked, suddenly staring Lupin down.

Remus looked surprised. "Merlin, Sirius. Do you really believe that? _No._ I didn't. I don't know what happened." He thought for a minute, then said softly, "Sirius, I'm very sorry. For everything you've gone through. I'm sorry I believed you were guilty. I should have known you wouldn't commit such a crime."

Laura broke in. "What are you going to do now, Remus?" Her tone was a touch belligerent.

Lupin was silent for such a long time that Sirius was sure he knew the answer. But surprisingly, he heaved a deep sigh and said, "I'll tell him the truth. I'm afraid it won't do a bit of good for you, though."

Laura said, "It will with Dumbledore, at least."

Sirius finally relaxed his hold on his wand, and Remus said, "What do you plan to do now?"

"We'll have to go away," Sirius answered tonelessly. "I can't stay here any longer now that there's no chance of catching Pettigrew, and I can't risk Laura getting caught helping me."

"Well, I promise you, if I ever have any information on him, I will find a way to let you know. But I'm sure that, unfortunately, Pettigrew is most likely far away by now." His expression was heavy with regret.

Sirius grimaced. "Yes, I'm sure. Laura, we need to go. We have an anniversary to celebrate." He turned to his wife. Lupin didn't miss the fond look the two of them exchanged.

"I didn't know that was today. Congratulations," Remus said, smiling slightly.

"Thank you." Sirius put an arm around Laura. "You won't mind if we don't walk with you," he told Lupin.

"Of course not," Lupin replied, a bit down now. "Sirius, -" he said and paused.

"Yes?"

"I hope to see you again someday, under better circumstances," Lupin said, touching Sirius' arm lightly. "And thanks for _that,_" he added wryly, rolling his eyes, and pointed to his chest. "It's going to be sore for days." With that, he began to walk back through the woods to the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Padfoot and Laura made it outside the Hogwarts gates and continued along the path, until he found a clearing, disappearing into it. Laura followed, looking around to make sure nobody had seen. When she approached him, he had transformed and had his wand drawn. Without saying a word, he pulled her close, and suddenly the two of them disappeared. When they emerged from apparating, she staggered a bit, trying to regain her balance. She looked around unsteadily at their surroundings, which appeared to be the middle of a forest. Dim light trickled through the trees, but he took her hand and began to walk. They wandered for several minutes until they came to a small glade lightened considerably by the sunlight streaming down on it. He took his wand and conjured a small fire close by them.

"Where are -" Her words were cut off as he grabbed her and kissed her roughly. She didn't resist, but began kissing him back with the same passion until they finally stopped, breathing heavily and staring at each other. Sirius watched her run her tongue over her lower lip, which felt bruised and was already swelling slightly from his violent kiss. His eyes were dark with desire, and he put his mouth on her again, this time caressing her lower lip erotically with his tongue, as if in apology. She made a small moan of pleasure. As they continued, he brought his hands to her bottom, forcing her closer. She did the same, pushing him to her and feeling his hardness against her body.

"Do as I say," he commanded softly, his breath against her skin. She nodded wordlessly. He took off his coat, paying no attention to the cool breeze floating through the trees. He threw it down on the ground so that it billowed out creating the effect of a large blanket.

"Get down on your knees." He unbuttoned his shirt and removed the rest of his clothing until he was completely naked. He set the clothes down on the ground, motioning for her to kneel on them. She did as he had asked, staring brazenly at every inch of his body. He moved in front of her, so that his erect member was just in front of her mouth.

"Kiss my cock," he ordered. She wet her lips with her tongue, not taking her eyes off him. Then she slid him into her mouth, softly at first, just barely stroking it with her tongue. Once she saw what effect that had on him, she seemed to delight in teasing him more seductively with her mouth. He could make out a hint of a laugh when he gasped at her light touch with tongue and lips.

"Harder!" he groaned. She didn't comply, though, but continued to torture him in the same fashion, watching with amusement as he moaned with desire, until suddenly he grasped the back of her head, threading his fingers through her thick hair. He pushed her head toward him, mindful not to hurt her by being too rough. "I told you to do as I say," he growled hoarsely, and she obeyed him, finally. She immediately used her tongue and lips to greater advantage, taking as much of him as she could in her mouth. Her tongue grew bolder and the pressure from her lips covering his cock was driving him mad with pleasure. Finally he made her stop before he came, pulling away from her so they were no longer touching.

"That was my present," he said breathlessly. "Time for yours now. And don't think I'll forget how you tormented me earlier," Sirius whispered seductively in her ear. He removed her clothing slowly, until she was completely naked, and had resumed sitting up on her knees. He joined her in that position. The cool breeze made her nipples stiff, and he bent his head down to kiss them delicately.

"They're darker," he said softly as he looked at each one. She appeared confused, then said, "Oh, the areola? It does that in early pregnancy. So the baby will know where to go for food, I guess." She laughed, then, and added, "See? You didn't have any trouble finding them." He smiled at her joke, then continued to kiss her there leisurely. Then he moved up to her neck, running his tongue softly over the outline of her collarbone. The feel of his beard made her shiver with pleasure, and he brought his mouth up to her ear.

"I've been wanting to stick my cock in you all day," he whispered. "_You _are extremely wet, you naughty girl. I believe you want to be fucked badly, don't you?" His hand had moved between her legs, and she moaned as he took a finger and slid it in and out of her. She attempted to kiss him, but he refused. "Oh, I don't think so. I'm going to punish you for what you did to me earlier. You may _not _kiss me until I say you can."

He then moved to her other ear. "Did you know I wanted to shag you the first time I ever saw you? Irritated as I was with you for being in my way, the thought occurred to me exactly how delicious you would look laying naked on a table outside Florean Fortescue's with me on top of you, fucking you like _mad_." He paused to check her reaction. She was mightily aroused and couldn't help squirming as his finger continued to move inside her.

"I should spank you for torturing my cock earlier. Naughty girl," he whispered again, and took his free hand, smacking her bottom rather hard. She squirmed even more, and moaned again. _"Do it again," _she gasped. He was amused, himself, now, and complied several more times. "You have a delectable, plump, pink little bottom, darling. I think I'll let you kiss me now. Do your worst," he said with an evil grin. He took his finger out of her and put both hands on her head, forcing her mouth to his. They kissed harshly, both now making sounds of pleasure, then he lowered her down so that she was laying on his jacket looking up at him.

"I'd like to fuck my wife now," he whispered. "That alright?" he added, smiling wickedly.

"Yes, _please,_" she said, and he wasted no time sliding his cock inside her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Happy anniversary, my love." He kissed her softly.

"Happy anniversary, darling." She kissed him back.

"Do you have _any_ idea how aroused I can get after a wand duel? Even that lousy, pathetic duel with Lupin. I wanted to fuck you right in front of him. Serve him right." Sirius was laying on the ground , entirely spent from making love. Laura lay with her head on his chest, and he had a hand in her hair, fingering a few strands idly.

"Really?" she asked, laughing. "I wondered why you stared at me like that. What do you say we take our wands and duke it out later, though? I'll fight you like that anytime if it means hot make up sex afterward."

He gave a bark like laugh, holding her closer to him. "We'll get right on that!"

"So where are we?" she asked him, looking around the glade again.

"This is the place where I kept all your letters hidden that I couldn't carry. I thought it was a perfect time to come back and get them."

"I forgot all about them," she said, sighing with contentment.

"Sirius, what do you think about going to America ... even for a few weeks? Is that possible for you? Maybe we could check it out and see if you like it."

"It's possible, yes."

"I was just wondering how we would get there. Can you change your appearance, to look like another person? I'm not sure how easy it would be to fly there if you were a dog. They might insist on putting you in the cargo hold and I couldn't have that." She smiled, then looked thoughtfully at him.

"There's always polyjuice potion ... but it would take a while to make. Be easier to steal it from Hogwarts. There's transfiguration. I'd hate to be a teacup for an entire plane ride, though." He laughed.

"Can we apparate there? How does that work? I've been reading a little about it, but never saw specific distances addressed."

"Apparition is tricky over really long distances like that. We'd probably have to do it in stages, and when you're dealing with the ocean, that would be very difficult. That method would be easier if we were just staying in Britain. Personally, I think Polyjuice potion and a fake passport would be the way to go."

She digested this for a moment. "Maybe I can get some out of storage at Hogwarts, if there is any. I'd have to avoid Snape, though." She shuddered, thinking of the venomous potions master.

It was growing dark by now, and the fire's light cast deep shadows on each of them.

"I suppose we should get the letters," he murmured, "and then head back. Me to my cave," he added, sighing.

"Mind if I stay with you?"

"I'd love it. You wouldn't be very comfortable, though."

"I dunno. Your jacket and clothes made me _very_ comfortable," she said contentedly. He smiled at her.

"Let's go," Sirius said reluctantly. He stood and put his clothes back on, which were quite damp by now. Running his wand over them, they were immediately dry. He did the same with Laura's discarded clothing.

After she had put hers back on, they walked out of the clearing and back into the woods. Sirius muttered, "_Lumos,"_ and the tip of his wand lit up. He knew exactly where to go, to a huge tree with a large hole in the trunk. He pointed his lit wand at it, examining the interior, then pulled out a box crammed full of letters, now covered in dirt and dust. He waved his wand over it to clean them up, and took the box, turning to smile at his wife.

"I love you, Laura," he said, kissing her. "Ready?"

"I love you, too," she answered, and nodded that she was prepared to apparate. He took her and held her as close as possible considering the extra load, and with a tiny _pop_, they disappeared.


	25. The Patronus

It was the middle of April, and I was seated in first class on Delta flight 59 bound for Atlanta, Georgia from London Gatwick Airport. My husband was lounging next to me, sipping what appeared to be a mimosa, but was actually polyjuice potion which I had nicked from Snape's stores at Hogwarts a few days earlier on a day he happened to be away from the castle. Instead of taking small sips, Sirius had downed the drink in one gulp, eliciting an impressed look from a businessman across the row. I couldn't help looking at him occasionally and snickering at how different he looked, as a middle-aged portly wizard with salt and pepper hair. He took it in good humor, though, grinning back at me.

The plan had gone off without a hitch. We had spent plenty of time in the cave meticulously plotting out the details. I had begun to notice that wherever I went in Hogsmeade, I was being followed, and not surreptitiously. Ministry grunts seemed to delight in trying to frighten me, and I was scared that the Ministry wasn't above sneaking around inside the house, either, though Sirius had shown me how to apply extra protection to it. He was forced to stay in the cave, as a result, only apparating inside our home to immediately take me back there with him. No words were exchanged until we were safely at our destination. Even then he would transform into the dog and patrol the area briefly, just in case.

So with all that in mind, I had gone into the Three Broomsticks on a particularly busy evening a few weeks back, scoping out the place for likely candidates while drinking a few butterbeers. I picked two men for the job. In the noisy crowd it wasn't too difficult to tweak out a strand of hair from each, though I was a nervous wreck. Our strategy was to go to America with Sirius as one wizard, and returning as a different one to another airport, for extra security, whenever we decided we were ready to come back. I had already bought a plane ticket from Glasgow to Shannon, Ireland at the last minute under my own name, hoping if the ministry was really watching me _that_ closely, they would be looking in the wrong direction. I had no intention of going to Ireland, but once Sirius had taken the polyjuice, we would apparate to London and go on to America from there. I had charmed my passport to show a different name, but otherwise kept my looks. I was afraid the potion might hurt the baby, and I didn't want to take any chances.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Fortunately, I had seen James one last time during the Easter holiday. He had come home for a few days and we spent a wonderful time together, walking through Hogsmeade a few times to shop for some clothing and groceries. Even though he was living at the school, with everything going on with Sirius I had been feeling rather neglectful of him, and I was determined to make it up to him. The only problem was, I was just beginning to show the effects of pregnancy, and had to wear more oversized shirts to hide my slowly growing belly from him. I still couldn't bring myself to tell him, and I hoped to be able to wait until school was out before it was an issue. He, being an eleven year old boy, didn't seem to notice a thing, but talked excitedly about quidditch, his friends in Gryffindor, and all the things he had learned since Christmas. I could see differences in him even since then. He seemed more and more like his father in looks and temperament. Maybe I noticed it more since I was around Sirius frequently, but it made me proud, and I wished his father could spend some time with him. But we would worry about that later.

_"How are things at school, hon?" I asked him one evening during dinner._

_He shrugged. "A few kids won't leave me alone, but mostly it's great."_

_I was concerned. "What do you mean?"_

_"Oh, they give me a hard time every now and then about being a 'Black', but it's no big deal." He noticed my fearful expression, and said, "Really, Mum, don't worry about it. Doesn't bother me."_

_He chewed on his steak distractedly. Then he said, "Mum, did you know that Sirius Black won an award in school?"_

_I looked at him with surprise. "Can't you call him your father?" I felt a bit bad for Sirius._

_"I don't know him at all, and he's a bleedin' criminal. So nope," he answered defiantly._

_"He's still your father," I retorted with a steely edge to my voice. He looked at me and shrugged. "What kind of award was it?" I asked, more curious now._

_"Some kind of academic excellence award. Can't remember the exact name. I had gotten a detention and had to clean out the trophy case outside the Great Hall. Regulus Black won a Quidditch award, too, one year. That was his brother, wasn't it?"_

_"Yes, it was." The mention of Regulus reminded me of meeting Sirius. It hadn't been long after his brother had been killed. By the time we were a couple, he had told me all about his bizarre family, Reg included. Sadly, his father had died the same year, though he always acted rather cavalier about both of them, as if he wasn't bothered by the losses. I could tell otherwise, though, detecting a tinge of regret in the way he referred to them. I never heard much about Reg, though, until Sirius and I were engaged and he confided in me about Voldemort and his brother's involvement. I gave an involuntary shudder, thinking about the one Black I had met, once upon a time. His mother, Walburga. The thought of her reminded me of Young Frankenstein and how horses whinnied in fear whenever Frau Blucher's name was mentioned. His mother was like that. I started to giggle._

_James looked at me curiously. "What's funny?"_

_I suddenly couldn't stop laughing. "Sirius' mother. She was something else entirely. Don't know why I thought of her."_

_"I've never met her," he said thoughtfully._

_"Thank your lucky stars, child," I replied, still giggling at the thought of the horses. "I can't begin to imagine how she would try to pollute your young mind. She was a die-hard Slytherin... all pure-blood royalty kind of crap. I think she died a while back."_

_"Sirius was a Gryffindor, though. How'd that happen?"_

_"He was different than all of them," I said. "And much nicer." I didn't care what James chose to believe about his father; I would defend him anyway._

_"Hmmph." He grabbed another piece of bread. "Slytherins are the worst," he said after he chewed it. "Think they all own the place." Then he changed the subject. "I'm hoping to try out for Quidditch in the fall. I'm getting pretty good on the broom." He was silent while taking a few more bites._

_"Mum, have you seen Black?" he suddenly asked._

_"Uh, yes. Once, a long time ago." I stuttered, not expecting this question._

_He stared. "You have? He didn't try to _hurt_ you, did he?" He had a protective look on his face that touched me deeply, misguided though he was._

_"No, James. He would never do that."_

_"So what happened?"_

_I thought about it, and decided on telling him mostly the same story I'd told Fudge._

_When I finished, he had a strange expression on his face._

_"I think I saw him once."_

_I looked sharply at him. "Where?"_

_"I'd been studying and had fallen asleep in the Gryffindor common room the night he slashed Weasley's bed curtains. God, what a nutter he must be. Sorry, Mum," he added as an aside. "Anyway, I heard a noise and woke up. When I turned around, I saw a manky looking long-haired man just for a second, bounding down the stairs that led to the dorm and out the door. Didn't realize what I was seeing, though, until later. It was freaky," he said, and paused._

_"What?" I asked._

_"I swear it was a man, then suddenly it was the shadow of a dog as he fled out the door. Looked like Snuffles' size," he said, looking uncertainly at me. "Thought I'd had too much to eat that night or something, or maybe was still dreaming."_

_I was alarmed by a sudden thought. "Did you tell anyone?" I was really thinking, about the dog?_

_He shook his head. "Figured they would tell me I'd drunk too much butterbeer if I told them he turned into a dog. And it happened so fast I was sure I imagined it."_

_"I'm sure you did," I said._

_"Is Snuffles gone or something?" he asked. "Haven't seen him at all since I got here."_

_"He's around. He likes to get out of the house and roam through the countryside."_

_We ate silently for a few minutes, and I sipped some goats' milk._

_"James ..." I began._

_He looked over at me._

_"I'm going to, um, Ireland for a few weeks in April. Just wanted to let you know."_

_He raised his eyebrows. "What are you going there for?"_

_"Just to get away from here. Too much cold and rain," I added jokingly. He snorted._

_"You might have to go further to get away from that," he said. "Where are you going exactly?"_

_Damn. I hadn't really thought up fake places to go. "Well, I'm flying into Shannon, so I'll start maybe around ... Galway, head down to the Dingle Peninsula, maybe? Mostly west coast stuff."_

_"Wish I could go," he said wistfully._

_"So do I, honey," I said, feeling bad for lying to him._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Back in Atlanta, the last hit of polyjuice potion hadn't worn off yet when we had climbed into the car, so we sat in the darkened car rental garage until Sirius at last emerged. It was a very strange looking transformation, and I almost had to look away as his skin assumed some very weird shapes in the midst of reverting back to his own. When he was done, his clothes now hung off him even more than before, considering the size of the wizard whose shape he had borrowed. First stop was to go shopping for clothes that fit, I thought. And maternity things for me.

"So where to?" Sirius asked me, as I drove the rental car from the airport to downtown Atlanta. He was in a jubilant mood, at last free to be himself without worrying about the consequences. Though it was just April, the temperature was very warm, and I had the top down on the convertible I'd rented. Our hair whipped around wildly as I drove up the interstate at a fast rate of speed. I gunned it and he whooped with pleasure, shooting me an evil grin. It took some getting used to, driving on the right again, but it wasn't long before I got the hang of it. Sirius reclined his seat almost all the way back, so the afternoon sun hit his pale skin, warming it. He reached over, turning the radio on. Scanning the dial, he eventually found a classic rock station and turned it up so that it was blaring out Led Zeppelin.

"I thought we'd stay in Buckhead, at least at first," I yelled above the din. Buckhead was a tony area of town with lots of bars, nice restaurants and upscale shops. I'd made a reservation at the Marriott close to Lenox Square, and we were both looking forward to acting as muggles for a while. He nodded in time to the music, eyes closed. We managed to make it through downtown without getting caught up in any major traffic, which was an amazing feat in Atlanta. Soon I found the exit for Lenox Road, and the car veered off down the ramp.

Once we had settled into a hotel room, Sirius immediately walked over to the window and shoved the curtains aside. He couldn't seem to get enough sunshine. "What do you want to do first?" he asked. "I'm starving! What about going to eat?"

I thought about it. "Sounds good to me. You want to go kinda easy tonight, and maybe make a reservation for something really nice tomorrow?"

"That would be perfect," he said, coming up and putting his arms tightly around me. He gave me a lingering kiss, then looked down ruefully at his baggy clothing. We had only brought one change of clothes each, it being too difficult to apparate while holding several things. I would need to buy some cosmetics as well. We both took quick showers and changed our clothes, then headed over to Houston's for an early dinner. Then we would come back and call it a day, saving the shopping for the next one.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After a few weeks in Atlanta, Sirius looked considerably healthier, not to mention much happier. He began to speak in terms of living here, if not in this part of Georgia, then somewhere close, such as Florida. We had driven to Seaside, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico for a long weekend and had a wonderful time, eating seafood and walking along the beach holding hands.

"I could see us living here," he told me softly as we stood on a long pier looking out over the ocean watching the sun set. "This is wonderful." The weather was already fairly warm and a gentle breeze was blowing through his hair. He looked at me. "What are you thinking?"

"It's lovely, isn't it? I'd just have to see what James thinks, I guess. I'm a bit worried that he won't want to come here to live. England's all he's ever known, and now he's made several friends at school."

"I suppose he could still attend Hogwarts and be here during the summer with us," Sirius said. "As long as he can keep quiet about me, anyway."

I regarded him for a moment. "I think once he gets to know you, that will change things quite a bit." I put my arm around him and leaned my head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head gently.

"I guess we need to discuss the money issue," he said. "Exactly how much do we have?"

"Well, I don't know exactly. The few times I went to Diagon Alley, the vault had quite a bit. I had transferred over some of my money, though, too. And my grandma left me a fair amount, which I got the bulk of last year when I turned thirty-five. I don't think we'll have any trouble living off it if we don't go overboard."

He turned back to the ocean, breathing in the salty air. "It's nice to be looking at it and not _swimming _in it," he said euphorically.

"Oh yeah, I had all but forgotten that," I remarked, recalling his horrifying wet escape from Azkaban.

He turned to me. "Your accent's changed," he said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Oh yes. Soon as we arrived in Georgia and you heard the car rental lady speak, you started talking with this _twang_." He mimicked me. I stuck my tongue out at him. He put his arm around mine and we began to walk away from the edge of the pier. We were all alone out here, surprisingly, and as we walked back, he said, "This feels like a second honeymoon. Well, _third,_ I suppose. The second was when I saw you after all those years."

"Good idea. We'll call this our third honeymoon." Just as the words left my mouth, I saw something very strange. A silvery-white creature had suddenly appeared in front of us, flashing for only a moment, then it was gone.

"Did you see that?" I asked. The hairs on the back of my neck were raised. He looked at me in alarm, suddenly on the alert for a ministry official who might appear and take him away.

"No, what was it?" he said, and his tone matched mine. He had been looking over at the ocean as the creature had glided in front of us, and missed it.

I described it. "Like a ghost animal. Maybe I imagined it. _No, _I'm sure I didn't. It was right in front of us, then it was gone."

He looked uneasy. "Could you tell what kind of animal?" He was taking me seriously, at least.

"Well, it was like a large dog, but didn't look like your type of dog. Shaggier, maybe? I guess more of a wolf."

He stopped. "A _glowing_ white wolf?"

"Yeah, that's what it looked like." I shivered involuntarily.

"Laura, did Remus ever show you his patronus?" he asked.

"No. I was supposed to take lessons to learn how to do that but never got round to it," I admitted.

"Well, his patronus is a silvery-white wolf. I imagine you can guess why." We still stood on the pier, almost back on land. "I wonder if he'll do it again."

I was impressed. "You think it's Lupin? He can cast a patronus all the way over here?"

He nodded. "If you know who you're looking for, you can send one anywhere that person is." He looked around again, hoping to see it once more. Nothing showed up, though.

"Can you communicate with it?" Wizards and their inventiveness never ceased to amaze me.

"Not really. Just a one-sided communication. I'm surprised we didn't hear his voice, giving us a message or something. Merlin's beard, I hope nothing's gone wrong." He sounded apprehensive.

"Should we stay here, you think? Maybe he'll show up again."

Sirius shook his head. "No, it'd be better if we go back to the house. He'll come wherever we are. Better if nobody can see him."

We walked back in silence to the rental house. It was a lengthy walk, since I had gotten one of the cheaper places on the back end of Seaside. Finally we arrived at the front door. Sirius let me in and followed me. I looked around the house, wishing the patronus would show up again. I hoped nothing had happened to James. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't let the ministry use him as some kind of pawn to flesh me out.

We got ready for bed, and laid there, not speaking for a while. "What's your patronus?" I finally asked Sirius.

He sighed. "A dog," he said. "Once I learned how to do it, I rather hoped it would be something a bit different than my animagus form. But no luck there." He shrugged and grinned at me.

"What do you think mine would be?" I asked curiously.

"A furry little bunny rabbit," he answered seriously, though his eyes gleamed with humor in the soft light.

I snorted. "Yeah, _right. _You wish."

"Well, that way, my patronus could chase yours," he continued, not bothering to keep from laughing now.

"You," I said, "are extremely silly." I climbed on top of him. "We didn't have dessert tonight. Would you like some?" I asked, kissing him slowly.

He gave me a completely different smile. "Oh yes, please."

I leaned over him to kiss him again. At that moment, we heard the distinct voice of Remus Lupin. He was saying Sirius' name. I swiveled around to see the glow of a wolf patronus standing there in the near darkness. I moved so Sirius could see him as well. He spoke again.

"Sirius, this is Remus. I think you should know that I've just spotted Peter Pettigrew on the map. He's here, Sirius. If he left, he came back. I tried to follow him but he scurried out of reach. Don't think he saw me or anything. I'm watching the map closely from now on and will keep you posted. I knew you'd want to know. Hope you're doing alright."

Then, in a blink, the patronus had disappeared and there was silence once again.

We looked at each other. "What map?" I asked.

"The Marauder's Map," he said. "God, he's got the map! As long as Pettigrew is on Hogwarts grounds, we should be able to find him!" He was suddenly ecstatic.

I was more cautious. "Sirius, this wouldn't be a trap, would it? Do you trust Remus now?"

"Yes, I do. He'd never give me away, knowing I'm innocent. In any case, he can't tell where we are just from casting a patronus. Laura, now we have to go back and find him!"

I smiled at him. "Let's go then!"

Sirius quickly cast a patronus to return to Remus, though he used no voice. He merely wanted Lupin to know he had received the message. As it was still the middle of the night in Scotland, it was the safest time to do it. Remus was likely to be in his bedroom at that time. I immediately got on the phone with Air France to make reservations for us. We had long ago decided to fly back to Paris from Atlanta, apparating a few times from there back to Hogsmeade and the cave, insteading of flying back into Gatwick. All this to hopefully put the Ministry off our scents, so to speak.

"Got it taken care of!" I said after a long period of waiting on hold and finally talking to a representative. He sat beaming at me.

"Good, sweetheart. Now come back to bed." And he held his arms open wide.

**A/N: I haven't done a shameless plug for reviews in a while, so here I am. If you've followed the story so far, thank you so much! I really appreciate any comments you have about the story and it helps me to improve my skills. So, if the spirit moves you, please leave a review. Thanks!**


	26. The Marauder's Map

I stared out the airplane window, looking down at the clouds below in the fading sun. Dinner had been served by the flight attendants, and Sirius, alias a tall skinny wizard with shaggy blond hair, was eating everything in front of him, including a cup of polyjuice potion on his tray table. Another characteristic that was a result of his time in Azkaban; he seemed to stay hungry all the time. I felt a twinge of sympathy for him, but jealously looked at his flat abdomen, though it currently wasn't really his. I doubted that Sirius would ever be overweight. Then I glanced down at my own belly. A _gentle swell _would be a nice romantic term. But with the uncomfortable fit of my jeans, I felt more like a very slowly inflating balloon. I looked out the window again, recalling exactly how badly I had reacted, mentally at least, to my last pregnancy. It was bound to be better this time. Over the last three weeks, Sirius had pumped me with questions about pregnancy and the sex of the baby. At the notion of being free in the States with me and James (we hoped), he had fully embraced the idea of being a father. He did seem to suffer from a delusion that pregnancy was extremely romantic, though, which I would have to disavow soon enough. What I remembered most was swollen feet, peeing every ten minutes, leg cramps, and constipation. Sadly, I hadn't felt the sense of elation that most women had at the pregnancy milestones. James' constant hiccups _in utero _only irritated me, and as he grew, he kicked and punched constantly, bruising my ribs to no end. My one salvation was that labor wasn't bad, though. He had come out in no time flat with minimal pain. He didn't even cry, not really; I was the one doing that. I wondered fleetingly now if ease of delivery was a characteristic of being a witch. Of course, the real problem with that pregnancy was my broken heart. Missing my husband. Scared he was dead. Feeling like I had nobody to share in the joys of a baby.

Coming back to the present, I sighed and decided to think of something else. I laid my head against the seat back and glanced at Sirius again. He was finishing his dinner while watching a movie on headphones. I tried to see what was on the screen. Looked like _Wayne's World_. He must have liked it, because he laughed out loud in several places.

My thoughts now turned to Lupin. Despite Sirius' assurances, I was a bit worried about his friend. I had always liked Remus well enough; he was friendly and easy to talk to. But with his latest revelation, my respect for him had dwindled somewhat, no matter what Sirius thought. If he would try to save his own skin once before, would he do it again? At least he claimed he would finally be straight with Dumbledore about Pettigrew. I wondered if the headmaster believed him, and exactly how much Lupin was forced to tell him about Sirius.

The other topic on my mind was Peter Pettigrew himself. I was anxious that Sirius was building himself up for a great disappointment, and frankly, I didn't know how many more of _those _he could take. What if nothing came of this? Sirius couldn't just keep heading to the castle every time somebody saw a rat. He would be arrested for sure. He was extremely lucky he hadn't been by now anyway. And now with Dumbledore in on Lupin's story, any extra layer of protection was gone if the headmaster knew about Padfoot. I dreaded bringing up the topic of catching Pettigrew in any case. After my botched capture in February, I knew Sirius wouldn't let me do a thing, even though he hadn't been angry about that in ages. Still, I hated the thought of sitting on my hands and exposing him to arrest when I (at least so far, I thought) still had access to the castle.

Now my thoughts shifted to this Marauders' Map. I had to admit, if it was anything like it sounded, Sirius and his mates must have been nothing short of geniuses to come up with it. The realm of magic seemed to have no limits whatsoever, as I was constantly amazed to find. Of course I was biased, though. I had always thought Sirius was extremely clever, and I could see James had thankfully inherited much of his abilities. The thought that nobody had _ever_ escaped from Azkaban prior to Sirius made me very proud of his shrewd acumen in magical matters. I felt a sudden wave of love for him, and started to reach over and kiss him. As I did, though, all I could see was the thin blond wizard with green eyes and shaggy hair, and suddenly felt that it would be too weird. I sat back. He looked my way and took his headphones off.

"You say something, love?"

"No, carry on, dear," I replied, amused at seeing Garth doing the "Foxy Lady" dance in the movie. He leaned closer to me.

"You like me like this, darling?" he whispered seductively, but with humor . With the use of the blond wizard's body came a soft lilting Scottish accent which, I had to admit, held a certain appeal.

"Well, I am a sucker for the accent, but I like your posh drawl much better, and in the looks department, you have _this _guy beat by a mile." I gestured to his body, and he looked down involuntarily. "Tell me, though," I whispered. "What does it feel like to have another man's dick? Is he big?" I couldn't help but grin widely as I delivered this line.

"Not as much as me, darlin'," he answered ribaldly, accentuating the brogue. He grinned back at me and kissed me anyway.

"Oh yeah? Prove it!" I challenged, teasing him.

"I will, later, if you like," he responded airily. "You going to eat your dessert?"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hours later, we stood, bleary-eyed, in line at customs and immigration. My passport now had a different name and new information on it, but Sirius kept a hand on the wand inside his jacket in case there was a problem with me. His passport had a false name coupled with the blond wizard's picture. There shouldn't be a problem, we thought. We stood with a few people in between us, not planning on meeting up again until after we collected luggage. I sweated a bit as the passport officer gave me the once-over, then stamped my passport, muttering something in French. He handed it back to me impassively and motioned for the next person.

I walked a short distance, then turned to make sure Sirius wasn't having a problem. He was next in line. When he walked up, the same officer opened his passport book, looking over it and glancing at him. Sirius appeared bored, waiting on him to finish. The officer looked up and down slowly a few times, then looked around for someone else to come over. He appeared alarmed when he glanced back at the blond man in front of him. Now I took my wand out covertly, trying to think of a good spell to diffuse the situation. Sirius glanced over at me, and barely nodded. He didn't want to make a move with his wand and risk scaring the officer any more.

Jesus. Which spell? I moved a bit closer, almost behind the man. Finally I muttered softly, _"Imperio," _waving my wand only slightly. Suddenly the officer had a benign expression on his face. I whispered, "_Let him go_. _Stamp the passport and let him go._" He stamped the passport and waved Sirius by, saying in a heavy French accent, "Welcome to France, monsieur." He then motioned for the next person as if nothing had happened.

I stood in the area a moment longer as Sirius walked by, and pretended to look for someone else in line. Finally I turned on my heel and went to baggage claim. My hands were shaking.

We stood at separate ends of the baggage claim area until we picked up the few bags we had checked. Finally Sirius began to walk away and I followed at a distance. When we were down the hallway a bit further, he stopped, waiting on me. I stood next to him, and we said nothing. He took my bag with his and walked into the men's loo. He was gone for a few moments, presumably sending our bags on magically and drinking a last swig of polyjuice. I waited for him, my pulse quickening as a few police officers walked past. They didn't look in my direction.

Finally Sirius emerged from the restroom and we both continued walking down the hall. He looked back and forth for an empty room with some privacy. Finally we saw a small handicapped bathroom off to itself. He knocked, then opened it quickly. We both entered the room. After hurriedly putting his arms around me, Sirius took his wand out. He concentrated on a location for a moment, then, with a _pop_, we disappeared.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"What the bloody hell was that about?" I asked later. It had taken me several minutes to recover from the long distance apparition we had just accomplished. I had to sit down for a while to regain my bearings. Sirius stood at the mouth of the cave, looking out. He was still the blond skinny wizard, but his last hit of polyjuice was due to wear off any time.

"Dunno. The guy wouldn't say anything." He was no longer worried about it.

"Figures. My luck, I probably picked a bloody _criminal's_ hair," I grumbled. "God, I thought you were toast there for a minute."

He grinned. "I'm proud of you. The imperius was a nice touch. You're doing very well, sweetheart." He walked over and sat next to me. "Don't worry," he said, "I won't try to kiss you, until I'm _myself _again. Feel alright?" He brushed a lock of hair out of my face.

"I'm still a bit green from apparating, but I'm okay."

We sat there for a little bit. I was pretty thirsty, but didn't say anything. I could wait until I went to the house. "What now, Sirius?"

"Well, tonight I'm going looking for the kneazle. He's usually out and about on the castle grounds. He should be able to help if Pettigrew's still around."

"What if Dumbledore knows about you being the dog?" I was worried.

"Ah, he may know, but he shouldn't be outside in the middle of the night. I'm not going to try getting in again," he said, glancing at me.

"I guess I should go looking for Remus tomorrow," I told him. "Hopefully he's noticed him on the map again. I'd like to see it, actually."

Suddenly Sirius shuddered. I looked at him in alarm, wondering what was wrong, then realized his potion was wearing off. He stood up abruptly and took several seconds to transform. I hoped he wasn't in pain; it was such an odd thing to see.

Finally he was finished, and sat down heavily looking like Sirius again. "Yuck." He shivered in relief. "Glad all that's over."

"Me too. You look so much better, though I'll miss the accent," I said, sighing with mock yearning.

"Oh well, I can't be _everything_, now can I?" He smiled wickedly. "Though you'll be pleased to know my very own dick is back."

"Oh thank _God_! I was missing it like mad," I said rapturously, then giggled. "How am I getting home, by the way? I'm afraid for you to apparate there with me. Reckon I should just walk?" I yawned just at that time, and he looked at me sympathetically.

"How about I walk with you as Padfoot to the stile at the end of Hogsmeade? Then I'll take off in a different direction from there." He stood, holding out a hand to help me up. "On second thought, I think I'll skirt around the edge of the village and stay close to the back of the house. If everything's alright, come out so I can see you. If you're not out there after taking a look around the house, say ten minutes or so, I'll come in no matter what to make sure you're okay. But with the protections you've put on it, the place should be alright." He kissed me softly. "I love you."

"And I love you," I said, kissing him back. I was sad all of a sudden. "I'm going to miss _you_ like mad, you know, after all this time together. I won't know what to do, now," I said wistfully. The thought of being apart _again _was depressing.

"Me too. I'll see you very soon, though. I'll apparate into the house when I get done with the kneazle. May be pretty late, though. Then we'll figure out what else to do. Alright, sweetheart?" He kissed me again and I nodded.

He transformed and we left the cave. By now it was early afternoon, and though cloudy, it wasn't raining, at least. It was quite a long walk to the edge of Hogsmeade, taking about forty-five minutes on the rocky path. I almost turned my ankle on a few of the larger stones, but managed not to hurt myself. Finally we came within sight of the stile. Thank God we hadn't come across any dementors, at least. Before going any further, I looked furtively around, but didn't see anyone. We both climbed over it, then I stopped, looking at Padfoot. He licked my hand, which made me laugh a little, then he padded off in a different direction. I walked on, pulling my jacket more tightly around me. It was suddenly chillier outside. Finally I came within sight of the house, and took my wand out to undo the protection on it. When I stepped inside, the place was almost dark, with the blinds closed, and I lit all the lamps to brighten it up. I walked around slowly, just in case, checking for any signs of intruders. So far, so good. I went into my bedroom, shining extra light on it from my wand, then James' room. When I had gone through the entire house, which didn't take long, I opened the back door and looked outside. Padfoot was there, as promised, waiting on me. I walked out and over to him, patting his head.

"Everything looks alright, darling," I told him softly. "Will I see you soon?"

He yipped in response, licking my hand again, and trotted off as I stood watching him.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Laura."

"Mmmm?"

"It's me."

I picked up my wand, muttering "_Lumos,_" and saw Sirius' face glowing from the wand light in front of me. I moved over to make room for him.

"What time is it?" I asked sleepily.

"About four," he answered as he slid into bed next to me.

I sat up on an elbow. "What did you find out? Anything?"

"It took forever to find the kneazle, but I finally spotted him hunting in the woods. He wasn't aware that Pettigrew might be back, but promised to look for him." He shrugged. "That's about it."

"Well, that's good anyway," I said. He grunted sleepily in acknowledgement. "Hungry, darling? Want me to get you anything?"

"Hmmm...what do we have?"

"Not much," I admitted. "I really need to pick up some stuff. But I can make you tea or something. Maybe a sandwich?"

He kissed me. "No, that's alright. I'll wait until morning to eat. I'm exhausted."

We said our goodnights. Sirius fell asleep almost immediately and I wasn't far behind him.

Late the next morning, I walked to the bakery to get some bread and croissants. As I walked past the Hog's Head on the way back home, I noticed Aberforth outside. I called out to him and waved. He came over to me right away.

"Morning, Laura. Where've you been? Haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, just went out of town for a few weeks to get away from ..." I shrugged and didn't finish the sentence. He knew what I meant.

"Speaking of ..." he imitated my shrug, "they've been a bit unhappy with you. Even asked _me_ questions about your whereabouts. 'Course, I would never tell 'em anything, but they're watching out for you pretty closely. I think they've talked to your neighbors, just so you know. People are saying things in the Hogs Head." He paused. "Still have that dog?"

"I guess I've adopted him. He comes and goes," I said cautiously. I thought Sirius told me Aberforth knew about him, but maybe he was wrong. The thought that my neighbors had been questioned frightened me, though. Apparently that shit for brains Fudge was going to involve the whole village regardless of Dumbledore's request. No wonder the bakery owner kept staring at me like I had grown two heads. Damn.

"Ministry's wracking their brains ... well, what little they have, trying to figure out how you and your husband might be meeting up. They've tried to get into your house, too." He gave a rare smile. "You put some good protection on it, though. Sent two of 'em to St. Mungo's." He chuckled.

I smiled, myself. "Why, Aberforth, I believe you don't like them very much."

"How'd you guess?" Then he changed the subject. "Everything else good?" He pointed to my slightly expanded belly, hidden by a baggy shirt. He was the only person who knew about it, beside Sirius.

"Better now. I had better make a doctor's appointment in Dovetown soon, I guess, to make sure everything's okay. I'm not about to see a healer here."

We talked a few more minutes, then parted ways after he promised to keep me posted on anything he might hear. My stomach was growling fiercely, and I could imagine how hungry Sirius must be getting.

I arrived back at the house, taking the extra time to disengage the security on it, and walked in, wondering if my neighbors were watching me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"How much does the headmaster know about Pettigrew?" I asked Remus later that day. He seemed very pleased to see me, smiling and motioning me into his office. "I see you still have your job," I added.

He had the grace to look ashamed at this, but answered the question. "I tried very hard to keep the conversation as close to Peter as I could. But he does know about Sirius and James being animagi. There would be no way Peter could've done it on his own, trust me on this one. I didn't tell him what they were, though. I was _really_ thinking that would get me fired." He said this as he closed the door behind him, uttering a _muffliato _charm so we wouldn't be heard.

"You mean their animagi forms?" I was confused.

"Oh, no. I refused to tell him what type of animal Sirius is. He wasn't ... pleased, but once he heard the whole story, he wasn't as upset. It gave him plenty to think about. That's where we left it."

I briefly wondered if Dumbledore had put two and two together and figured out who Padfoot/Snuffles was. One more thing to worry about.

"What's this map you were talking about? Sirius told me about it, but I'm having trouble picturing what it could be."

He pulled out his briefcase and rummaged through it until he pulled out a ratty looking piece of parchment. "I managed to get this from Harry Potter," he told me. I was surprised.

"Did Harry inherit this from his dad or something?"

"Oh no, it was confiscated years ago by a certain Mr. Filch. Heaven knows how it wound up in Harry's hands." He smiled warmly.

"And how did you get it? I'm surprised he would give it up," I commented, wishing he would get on with it and show me the map.

He had a trace of humor on his face. "I caught him with it and was forced to take it from him. Professor Snape would've if I hadn't, anyway. Long story. At the time I was worried that Sirius might get hold of it and use it to find him. Knowing what we do now, though, I believe we can use this to our advantage."

He pushed it toward me. "Try to cast a spell on it."

I looked at it, feeling like I had a pop quiz thrust upon me. "Uh, I don't know what to say."

"Just anything. Tell it you want to see what's inside."

"Okay. Show me your contents." Nothing. I looked at Lupin.

"Sorry. Use your wand."

I tapped it on the paper, saying, "Show me your contents, please."

Dark ink slowly began bleeding on the page, eventually forming words in a flowing script.

_Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs wish to congratulate Ms. ...Black, is it? on a nice try. _

_Mr. Mooney is impressed at Ms. Black's manners. Please and Thank You being the magic words and all._

_Mr. Wormtail thinks Ms. Black is a very pretty girl, but should really mind her own business. (Sorry!)_

_Mr. Padfoot is wondering if we are related, and hoping Ms. Black isn't one of those pureblood gits from Slytherin. Want to go out? (If we're not related, of course. And if you're not in Slytherin.)_

_Mr. Prongs regretfully gets the last word. No dice on seeing what's inside. Nice to meet you, though. If things don't work out with Evans, maybe ..._

"As you can see, we reserved all the wit for the boys who try to open it," Lupin said, grinning. "I've seen us do better."

I laughed, especially at Sirius' comment. "At least I got two come-ons out of four. So how do I open it?"

He tapped his wand slightly and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As I watched, even more flowing script appeared gradually, but this time as the pictures and words became clearer, they began to move around. We unfolded the map even more, and other parts of the castle showed up. "This ... is ingenious!" I couldn't help saying. I looked in fascination as students milled around, and looked hard for James. It was difficult though to find individuals, huge as the place was. I assumed daytime was much harder to see, what with all the activity going on. No wonder Lupin hadn't seen Pettigrew until night.

"Much easier during the night," he said, reading my mind. "I've looked since then, but have yet to see Peter again. I will keep on, though."

"Would he go back to Harry's friend?" I asked.

Lupin shook his head. "I wish he would, but Peter knows better, after getting caught by you once. I've thought hard about where he might be, but haven't come up with any reason he'd still be around."

"Remus, you need to sleep at night. How are you going to teach and stay up looking for a rat?"

He shrugged. "Well, it _is_ a bit difficult. We probably need a better system. I had thought of an alternate plan, actually, so I'm glad you reminded me. I think you and Sirius could take on the job and switch out with me some nights."

"How's that going to help? We're in Hogsmeade. By the time we made it to the castle, he might be long gone, or in a location we couldn't reach."

"Well, there are a few places you could stay, though one is much riskier than the other."

"Well, spill it. We need to get him. Remus, this is killing Sirius. He can't have a life. He's miserable, stuck hiding like this."

He tapped the map and said, "Mischief managed." The writing faded quickly until the parchment was blank once more. Handing it to me, he sat back in his chair.

"Ask Sirius if he's considered the Shrieking Shack."

I recalled the dilapidated building outside of Hogsmeade. "How is that any better? Isn't it extremely haunted?"

"Just ask him. There's also the Room of Requirement, though that's _really_ the risky place. You did _not_ hear about it from me, right? He'll tell you about that, too."

He stood up. "Well, I hate to run, but I have a lecture on vampires to give to some third years. I'm very glad you stopped by." He smiled at me. "I hope you can forgive me, Laura; you and Sirius both," he added, his smile fading.

"Consider it done." I was thrilled by the addition of the Marauder's Map and hoped it actually be helpful to us. Now, though, I had to go see Professor Flitwick to schedule my next charms lesson. Then it would be home, and Sirius.

**Edited to correct a small omission and typo.**


	27. New Discoveries

_15 May 1994_

_Dear Mum,_

_One last letter before I get to see you again. I guess you've heard, the story of Sirius Black is making the rounds here at school. The one where he's my father. Don't worry, though. I'm doing alright. I won't lie, I'll be glad when exams are over and I can spend the summer away from all this, but I promise, I can hold my own against anyone who has a problem with me. A few older Gryffs are being very nice, as well. Harry Potter, who I'd expect to be nasty to me, has left me alone. He and his friends have even hexed a few kids on my behalf. The Weasley brothers gave out a few little "treats" to a couple of Slyths as well. Not that _I _couldn't take care of myself, but things are not as bad as I thought they might be. Professor Dumbledore told me to let him know if I was being bothered. That would probably make my life worse, though, so no thanks. _

_On to other news. I'm doing well in all classes except Potions, where Prof. Snape seems to think I'm Sirius Black made over. He's the one giving me detentions, in case anyone tells you about that. Prof. Lupin has been kind, though. He told me recently he thinks Sirius is innocent. What you've been telling me all along. Black and Lupin were great friends back in the day, he says. Did you know that? Along with Harry's father. Lupin's told me a few stories. I hope he's right about Sirius Black. Harry has never mentioned anything about his father. Can't blame him. Not that I talk to him that much; he just happened to be around when someone was giving me trouble one day and helped me out. But back to Black- is there a way to prove his innocence? If that's really true._

_Well, not much more to say. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Hope to see you soon. And hope your lessons are going well._

_Love,  
James_

I carefully folded up the letter, intending to show it to Sirius when I next saw him. I was pleased that James finally decided that Sirius might be innocent. I thought that might make him a bit stronger when any kids hounded him about his dad. Sirius himself would be very happy to know that his son was now doubtful about his guilt. Unfortunately Sirius and I only recently saw each other in passing the past few weeks. We met to trade out the Marauder's Map most nights. When it wasn't the full moon and Lupin had no early classes, he volunteered to study it for us. We all got tired of watching it for the two words we most wanted to see – Peter Pettigrew – but the thought of being in striking distance, and the subsequent freedom that meant, was worth the tedium of watching the map constantly. Some evenings I was brave enough to stay in the Room of Requirement, if Snape wasn't skulking around being nosy as he was prone to do. But otherwise, I would be at the house, growing slowly larger with child. We had chanced sneaking Sirius into the Room of Requirement a few times, but almost got caught once. Even though he was a dog, I had no desire to explain why I was roaming around the halls after hours with a large animal, especially to Dumbledore, since he knew Sirius was some sort of animagus. So typically one or both of us stayed in the Shrieking Shack, hoping to race through the tunnel and onto Hogwarts grounds if Pettigrew showed himself.

The Shrieking Shack was another stroke of genius on someone's part. Sirius had explained to me the origins of the building, nostalgically retelling many stories of his youth shared with his friends. Poor Remus; I had known for a long time about his affliction, but hearing accounts by someone who had experienced it firsthand was a real eye-opener. I was more impressed that Lupin didn't seem to harbor any self pity about it. I was sure it was miserable for him, but he seemed to take it in stride.

Unfortunately, though, we were having no luck finding the rat. Pettigrew evidently had been scared off or had exited the area, and we never noticed him in the castle. Not one time. Sirius once again grew morose, after his initial excitement wore off. I was worried for him. It hadn't escaped me that he had stopped eating normally once more. He was growing thinner as well, and the circles under his eyes were more pronounced. He remained dedicated to checking the map for the rat, though, and didn't complain.

Back in the village of Hogsmeade, life was now more difficult for me. I thought of James and his words about friends helping him out. Luckily for me, Aberforth was like that. He heard all manner of gossip in the Hog's Head, and did a good job setting straight any inebriated villagers who wanted a confrontation with the infamous Sirius Black's wife. I'd had a few hexes sent my way, as well, and after going to him once in furious tears for a counter curse when I suddenly sprouted antlers, Aberforth began to walk with me through the village if he was available. He was infuriated that anyone would be so nasty to a woman, especially a pregnant one. Of course, that wasn't exactly common knowledge just yet, though more than a few astute elderly women on my street would look speculatively at my belly, their eyes darting up to my face in horror, wondering if the devil Sirius Black had impregnated me. None of my neighbors talked to me face to face, though.

Aberforth wasn't the only one angry about how I was treated. When I admitted some of these things to Sirius, I had to beg him to stay away from the guilty parties to keep from getting caught. Even so, I noticed later that a few of them looked as if they'd been on the wrong end of a hex, and I wondered if he or Aberforth had gotten revenge.

As the days went on, the weather grew warmer. Ministry underlings continued to follow me around wherever I went. I had learned to ignore them by this time. After all, they had gathered no evidence that Sirius was close by. Other than my belly as evidence, which stayed covered by jackets and large shirts, nobody could ever guess I saw him on a regular basis.

I learned one very interesting piece of information in early June. I had gone to a muggle obstetrician in Dovetown, just to make sure everything was proceeding well with the baby. By now I was twenty weeks pregnant, and the doctor suggested an ultrasound to do some measurements. I laid back on the table while the technician rubbed cold gel on my belly, remembering the time I had done this with James. _That _time I hadn't wanted to know what sex the baby was. But now things were different. A pleasant girl, who looked barely twenty, began pressing around with the ultrasound wand, probing different areas of my belly, trying to persuade the baby to move around so she could take measurements. After a while, I grew tired of craning my neck to see the screen, and laid back as she worked, looking up at the ceiling. Just then, she said, "Alright, want to take a look?"

She turned the monitor to face me, and I could see the little child inside, lying mostly still, but occasionally flipping around and moving its hands and feet. "Want to know what it is?" she asked me with a smile. I stared at the screen, trying to tell for myself, but finally gave up.

"Okay. Sure."

She moved the wand around a bit more, until I could see the baby's lower half better. "There. Can you tell?"

I shrugged and squinted at the screen. "Well, looks to me like either it's a girl, or it _could_ be a boy. One of the two."

She laughed. "It's a girl, Mrs. Black. See there?" She pointed to a place on the screen that looked like nothing in particular to me. "Congratulations!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I left the doctor's office, intending to go to the small train station and head back home. But as I strolled up the street, I noticed a tiny shop sandwiched in between a larger clothing store and a pub. I walked over to it and peered into the window. It was called "Ladybugs and Leapfrogs" and displayed some baby-related items in the window. I opened the door and went in.

A little while later, I walked back out with a few new purchases, one of which was specifically for Sirius, in a little box that was covered in gift wrap. I was a bit more excited and had already begun to think of girl names. In spite of the lousy circumstances surrounding this poor baby, the thought of us creating a new life was still rather overwhelming.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next day was the start of exams at Hogwarts, and any meetings I had coming up with teachers were suspended until after school was out for the summer. Most of the instructors that I knew fairly well from the previous months were still willing to teach me, despite the news about my husband. Regarding Sirius, I hadn't been given a chance to give him his gift, nor even talk about my doctor's visit the previous day. He stayed in the Shrieking Shack almost all the time now, studying the map constantly. He would apparate to see me for brief periods and eat some meals, but threw all his energies into trying to find Pettigrew. Lupin would join Sirius when he had time, giving him a chance to relive their glory days as marauders. It was one of the few bright spots in his life, besides our relationship.

I was at the castle that evening, rather uncharacteristically for me, as I had gotten an owl from Professor McGonagall concerning James. She, along with everyone else, now knew about my marriage to Sirius, and she wanted to see me regarding some fight James had gotten into. No doubt over his father, and one more thing to worry about. After meeting with her, I walked out on the grounds. Going over in the direction of the Whomping Willow, I stood looking at it, wishing I was brave enough to get in under it and take the tunnel to the Shack. I was scared to death of hurting the baby, though. I had heard what kind of damage the tree could do to the unprepared. Finally I looked away from it and continued strolling around the grounds. As I walked in the direction of Rubeus Hagrid's small hut, I heard a loud bark from the nearby woods. I moved over in that direction, and heard it again. I walked faster until I was among the trees and sheltered from view. Twigs and leaves crunched as the dog moved closer to me. Then it was in front of me; the large black dog that was Sirius. He looked around carefully, then transformed.

"Laura!" he said, his voice brimming with excitement, "I know where he is! I found him!" He gave me a lingering kiss.

"How did you find him? What's going on?"

"The kneazle found out he's been in Hagrid's hut. I got this close to it, but Hagrid has guests now. People I really don't want to run into." He looked around again, making sure once more that we were alone.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Well, Cornelius Fudge, Dumbledore and another man wielding a large axe. So you can understand my reluctance to go storming in there." He gave me an ironic smile.

"Oh God, it's about the hippogriff. The one sentenced to death. I bet that's tonight." I had heard some of the story, and felt bad for the beast. One more ridiculous thing the Ministry had its hand in.

"Well, I wish they'd hurry up and leave. I want to get this over with," he said impatiently.

"I know, honey." I touched his cheek. He hadn't trimmed his beard in a while and it was looking rather wild once more. "It will be soon."

"I really need to keep an eye on this," he said, motioning in the general direction of the hut, "but I'm supposed to meet up with Lupin out in the woods soon. He's late. So I thought I might trot up around the castle and look for him quickly before this full moon has him laid up in his office all night. Shouldn't be gone long."

"I'll stay around here if you want. How shall I let you know when they've left?"

He thought a minute. "Shoot up some sparks with your wand, alright? You know how to do that."

"Yeah. I'll do it."

He kissed me again, and transformed quickly. Then he padded off out of the woods and back toward the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

I moved back out in the open, close to Hagrid's place. It was growing darker now, and lights in the castle were glowing in the twilight. Too impatient to sit, I paced around, peering over at the tiny house every few minutes. I noticed no change, though. Evidently the half-giant still had guests. I began to walk back in the direction of the Whomping Willow, observing it for a few minutes.

This tree that stood off to itself, the one that everyone avoided due to its viciousness, began to shake, its branches twirling violently. I couldn't see anything that might have triggered this behavior; it was common knowledge that the tree only did this sort of thing when people or animals were around. I moved closer, looking all around it, and that was when I noticed the kids. It was Harry and his two friends. By then it was almost dark; they were getting hard to see. I was close enough to make out snippets of conversation. Harry's red-haired friend seemed to be having some trouble. He was struggling with something in his hand. I heard him exclaim, "OUCH! He bit me!"

My heart stopped as I realized he was holding the rat. I sped up and gripped my wand, thinking maybe I could take Pettigrew from the boy. But then their voices were raised in distress. Apparently Pettigrew had worked himself loose from Ron's grip and had fallen to the ground, scampering away. I could hear the hiss of an angry cat as Ron yelled at it to leave his rat alone. He caught Pettigrew once more, with a "Gotcha!" then cursed at the cat, who hissed once more in anger. I thought this would be a good time to send the sparks up with my wand. But before I could make a move, however, the sound of an animal galloping toward them became steadily louder. I watched as Sirius, in the form of the great black dog, charged through the semidarkness at Harry. He knocked him over before the boy had time to do anything, then made an about-face and grabbed Ron by the arm, dragging him off. They disappeared, seemingly into the tree trunk. I squinted, looking for the hole that Sirius had told me about. Regrettably, the tree decided at that moment to attack, and Harry and the girl were its hapless victims. They suffered a few hits, before the tree stopped unexpectedly. I strained to see what had happened. I heard the girl say "Crookshanks!" and I assumed that the kneazle had managed to press the knob that stopped its violent shaking. Harry and the girl seemed to dissolve into the base of the tree, and I stood there uncertainly, wondering whether I should follow. Sirius might need some help. I began to move, but at that moment, I saw Lupin hurrying along, headed for the same place. I hung back a moment, watching him and thinking he was much more capable of providing aid to Sirius than myself. So I decided to follow him in. Glancing nervously at the large imposing tree, I gingerly walked toward the hole, taking my wand out and muttering, "_Lumos._" By the glow of my wand tip, I could see the black void growing closer.

Then out of the darkness I heard a noise almost right next to me. Whirling around, I flashed my light on none other than Professor Snape. I gasped in fright as he stood looking at me with vicious loathing.

"Time to repay you, Mrs. _Black,_" he said slowly, accenting each word.

I was confused. "What are you talking-" and, with a burst of green light from his wand, I slumped over and everything went black.


	28. The Hospital Wing

I opened my eyes. Sirius was kneeling over me, shaking me gently. "Laura! Can you hear me?" he asked urgently. I nodded faintly and groaned. "What happened?" He caressed my face, leaning over to kiss me.

"_Shit_," I moaned. "Snape hit me with a spell. Don't know _what _his problem is." I gingerly tried to sit up as he helped me.

"Snape?" He spat the name with venom. "The bastard's unconscious now. When he wakes up, though, I'll fix him for you." A look of utter hatred crossed his face, but then he smiled broadly, remembering something. "Laura, _we got him_!" His arm supported me as I sat up.

The words registered with me just as Pettigrew was being led out of the hole, flanked by Lupin and Ron, with an injured leg. I winced when I saw it, realizing that Sirius had most likely been the one to do that. I'd heard the _crack_ as he had taken him into the hollow of the tree earlier. I regarded Pettigrew for a moment. He looked a lot like the rat he had been pretending to be. A slight, milquetoast kind of a man who was moaning pitifully as he was forced out of the tree's hole, I decided that, though I despised Snape, Sirius had given the nickname _Snivellus _to the wrong person.

Lupin and the injured boy, Ron, kept moving in a halting manner with Pettigrew attached to them. Harry and Hermione had exited with Sirius and were standing close by watching Sirius with me while keeping an eye on Pettigrew at the same time. Sirius helped me to stand and put an arm around me, and I kissed him in celebration of the rat's capture. He took my face in his hands, kissing me again with the biggest smile I had seen in quite a while.

"Laura, go on to the castle," he said. "You need to be checked out by Pomfrey to be sure Snape didn't hurt the baby."

"I can't leave! I want to wait on you," I said stubbornly. His hand was still on my face, and he stroked it softly.

"We'll be alright. You go on, darling. Get yourself checked out." He kissed me again. Very reluctantly, I walked off, looking back at everyone still standing under the immobile branches of the Whomping Willow. Then, I turned around. I had forgotten something important.

"Sirius," I called. He looked back my way. "I love you."

"I love you, Laura." I could hear the joy in his voice.

I turned and trudged back up the hill toward the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later, I reclined in a hospital bed, sipping water, impatient for Sirius and the others to return. Damn. It was growing very late, and I hadn't heard a word from anyone. Madame Pomfrey had looked me over and declared that I just needed to rest for a while, but all I wanted to do was get up and go find Sirius. Surely nothing had gone wrong. I hoped.

After what seemed like forever, the doors to the infirmary opened, and the prostrate forms of Harry, Ron and Hermione were summoned by magic into the room. Snape held his wand as he walked behind them, and Madame Pomfrey rushed over to see what had happened.

"Oh dear! What on earth-" She sputtered. Snape looked over at me with a malevolent glare and ignored her.

"Cornelius Fudge is here. I'm sure he would like to speak to _you_." Then he turned to Madame Pomfrey. "They've been affected by dementors," he said emotionlessly. He turned to leave. Harry and his friends were still unconscious as he departed, leaving them lying supine in mid-air.

"_Just _a minute!" I yelled. He paused ever so slightly, barely tilting his head back in my direction. "Where's Sirius? Where's Pettigrew?" I demanded. I was growing desperate.

"Peter Pettigrew, as you well know, has been dead for years. Don't bother pretending otherwise. As for Sirius Black, he awaits the dementors' kiss in another part of the castle. You may not be far behind him," he added with obvious pleasure. "Maybe they'll kiss both of you together. Wouldn't that be romantic?" Then he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

I turned in a panic to Pomfrey, who was staring at me in confusion. "_You're _Sirius Black's wife, aren't you? Dear Merlin, that's_ his _child, isn't it?" These facts were hitting her all at once, and she clearly didn't know what to think. Then, she pulled herself together and remembered the students floating in air who were still out cold. I slumped back down on the bed with my head in my hands.

After Pomfrey had attended to the kids, they slowly began to regain consciousness. Hermione awoke first, then Harry.

"Harry," I said urgently, after he had pulled himself together. "What happened?!"

"Pettigrew got away. Lupin transformed into a werewolf. Everything went ... all to hell after that. He transformed back into a rat and scurried off down the hill," he said sadly. "Sirius was injured trying to keep Lupin from hurting us. Then he disappeared. I followed him down to the lake, but the dementors had beat me to him."

I choked a sob. But before I said anything, he continued. "But I think ... well, someone showed up and cast a patronus. It drove the dementors away. They didn't get him. But I passed out, and next thing I knew, we were here."

By now, I could hear voices outside. Snape and Fudge. They opened the door and walked in. Harry and Hermione immediately began to sit up and argue with them. I saw Fudge look in my direction with a triumphant smile.

"Well, Mrs. Black, Severus here tells me he has irrevocable proof that you are aligned with Sirius Black and providing aid to him. Of course, I knew it all along," he added smugly. I sat there in a daze, not bothering to respond.

At that moment, the headmaster opened the door and strode in. Harry tried to tell him what had happened, but Fudge, damn him, kept interrupting. Finally, Dumbledore convinced them to leave. He then turned and looked at me questioningly. I could only say, "Listen to Harry. He's right." I knew it was hopeless now. "I just want to see Sirius one more time."

Instead of answering me, though, Dumbledore looked at Hermione. "What we need ... is more _time."_

_Yeah,_ I though sarcastically. _That would be really nice._

But Hermione had a thoughtful look on her face. She pulled out a long, odd looking necklace from under her blouse. Dumbledore began issuing instructions to her in a low urgent voice. I interrupted.

"Excuse me, what the _hell _are you doing?"

Dumbledore looked at me. "I am sending them back to attempt to change the outcome. The ultimate goal being to save Sirius."

"Well, _I _want to go, too!" I said, standing up quickly.

"Laura, I'm afraid that in your, um, condition -" he started to say, looking at my stomach.

"Well, screw my condition! I'm getting the damn rat! I'm sick and tired of that little shit ruining my husband's life!"

"Laura, I really don't think -" he began again. This time he was interrupted by Harry.

"Professor, I think she should go," he said. I shot him a grateful look, and he gave me a ghost of a smile. "_We_ won't be able to go after Pettigrew, but maybe she can. I can tell her where he transformed. What do you think?"

The professor seemed resigned. "I'm worried about her pregnancy. I wouldn't want to risk anything happening to the baby. But," he added with a nod in my direction, "that decision is not mine to make."

"I'm going," I said. "Tell me what I need to know."


	29. Timeturning

I staggered a little as it happened.

The room seemed to be spinning, everything in motion moving backward, but only the three of us standing still in comparison. The light in the room grew slightly brighter as it became earlier in the evening again. We could hear bits of chatter but couldn't make anything out. Finally the movements stopped with a jolt and we were left standing there alone in the ward. Apparently Madame Pomfrey was elsewhere, which was lucky, for she wouldn't have had a clue as to how we had appeared in the middle of her infirmary. I was still a tiny bit weak in the knees from the curse Snape had hurled at me earlier in the evening, but otherwise I was okay.

"Let's go," Hermione whispered urgently, and removed the time turner from around our necks. We tiptoed for the door, wincing as it creaked open. Then we sped down the stairs, making our way out of the building. We looked left and right constantly, alert for anyone who might realize we were out of place.

Once we had made it to the lawn, we stopped to regroup.

"Tell me where I need to go, Harry," I said in a low voice, still paranoid someone might hear us.

He and Hermione motioned for me to follow them as they passed the Whomping Willow, giving it a wide berth as it shook threateningly. He stopped suddenly at the edge of the glade where it went sharply downhill, and said, "Here. He turned into a rat and ran down the hill here."

"I need to find something to mark it, for when I come back," I said, searching around for a stick or other object that would stand out. I had one other place to go first, before coming back here to wait. Finding a large branch that seemed to be a good candidate, I thrust it into the ground and rechecked for the millionth time to make sure my wand was secure.

"Harry -" I said suddenly. Then I couldn't think of the words to say what I felt. _Please save my husband. _He knew what I meant, and nodded. I touched his face with my hand, and said, "Be careful. You too," I added, to Hermione. I patted her arm. She nudged Harry, and they ran off into the darkness.

I ran, myself, but in the other direction. I needed to make it to the DADA classroom in a hurry to find what I was looking for. I moved swiftly across the lawn and up through the courtyard. I had almost made it to one of the castle doors when I heard the sound of footsteps speeding behind me. Panicking, I ran faster without looking back, but was suddenly tackled on the hard ground by my unknown assailant. I landed with a thud, trying to protect my belly, and felt for my wand. I found it, rolling around on my back, to see the great black dog on top of me. I gasped for breath and cursed as he transformed into Sirius.

Without uttering a word, he yanked his wand out and pointed it straight at my chest.

"Who are you?" he demanded. He forced the wand up until it was against my neck.

"Sirius! It's me, Laura. What are you doing?" I cried, terrified. I couldn't think why he would be doing this. The thought occurred to me in my panic that maybe all those years in Azkaban had caught up with him, and he had finally gone mad. But that didn't make sense. He had been perfectly sane when I had seen him just earlier. As these ideas swirled around my head, he spat out viciously, "What have you done with my wife?"

"It _is_ me! Why are you doing this?" Hermione's words as we had prepared earlier came back to me suddenly. _Horrible things have happened to wizards who have meddled with time. No one can see us._ I realized in my fright that Sirius had seen me very recently, and in a totally different place. He must have thought this version of "me" was a trick of some sort. "Sirius," I pleaded again, "I'm Laura. I swear!"

He kept the wand trained on me, but backed away slightly, looking very mistrustful. "Alright then. Prove it."

Now I realized I would have to tell him about the time turner, and that could destroy everything. If he thought he was going to fail at this, he might not have the will to even try to capture Pettigrew. Who knew what could happen.

I tried a different tack instead. "I can prove it. Ask me anything. But hurry! We don't have much time!"

He looked a bit disconcerted by this. "Our son's middle name."

"Sirius."

"First place we ever met."

"Officially, or where we _really_ met?"

He lowered his wand more. "Really met," he said.

"Diagon Alley. You zapped it from my memory, but apparently you harbored a desire to lay me down over one of Florean Fortescue's outdoor tables and have your way with me." I supposed I didn't need to go into that much detail, but every little bit had to help.

Now he brought his hand to his side and looked suspiciously at me. "How ... did you get over _here_?"

"I can't talk about it. Sirius, I have to go! _You _have to go!"

"What do you mean? I'm not going anywhere until you explain it to me."

"I have to go inside for a minute!" I was desperate.

He grabbed my arm and said, "No! I'll go with you."

"You can't go in! You've got to be -"

"Got to be what?" he asked urgently, voice lower now.

"Away from _here. _I can't talk to you!"

I wrenched my arm away and tried to walk toward the door again. He ran in front of me, blocking my way. "Where exactly are you going?"

"Defence classroom. Now _go_!"

"I'll go with you. Don't argue with me!"

I was exasperated, and growing scared. If he didn't get where he was supposed to be, everything would be irreversibly destroyed. "No, stay here in the bushes," I said. "I'll be back in just a moment!"

He watched me suspiciously, and said, "Alright, then. Hurry!"

I practically ran into the school and down the deserted hallway. Reaching the Defence classroom, I tried the knob. It was locked. I took my wand out and hissed "Alohomora!" then tried again. The door opened this time. I rolled my eyes as I walked in, wondering why wizards bothered locking doors to begin with. I glanced quickly around the room until I found what I was looking for. A stout, medium-sized cage, which looked as though it could hold several rats, sat on top of a large cabinet.

"Accio cage!" I pointed the wand again, and it immediately came flying to me, almost knocking me over, in fact.

Seizing it, I made for the classroom door again. As I closed it behind me, I could hear the sound of cackling and glass breaking in the distance. _Peeves._ Shit. I made a run back for the door, hoping the poltergeist was in the other direction. Fortunately, our paths didn't cross. I swung the door open again and exited into the night. A faint glow emanated from behind one of the mountains in the distance, and I knew the moon was slowly rising.

"_Just_ a moment," I heard a familiar voice say behind me. Slowly, I turned to see Severus Snape pointing a wand at my husband. "Well, _Black_, I knew I'd -"

His words were cut short. "_Petrificus Totalus__!_" I yelled, and he keeled over, immediately stiff and unmoving.

"Nice one!" Sirius exclaimed with approval.

I didn't answer, but motioned for him to go with me. I went at a rapid pace in the direction of the place I was to wait.

"What are you doing with a cage?" Sirius asked, resuming his step beside me as I walked back through the deserted courtyard.

"Never mind me. You have to ... be somewhere else." We walked quickly down the steps onto the lawn.

"What are you talking about? I'm going back to get Pettigrew, no matter what happens!" As soon as he said it, I thought of something.

"Back ... where?" I asked curiously.

"The kneazle told me he's in Hagrid's hut, hiding out."

"Sirius -" I began, and halted.

"What?"

"You're going the wrong way! He's not going to be there!"

"How the hell do you know that?"

"I just do!" I thought quickly, wondering how much I would have to tell him without blowing everything.

"He'll be going toward the Whomping Willow. Harry's friend will have him ... the ginger-haired one. That's all I can say."

He looked at me, comprehension dawning on his face. "God, Laura, what did you do?" he whispered, horrified.

"What do you mean?" I tried to look away.

He grabbed my shoulders, making the cage swing against me. He forced me to look at him. "How do you know this? Something's going to go wrong, isn't it? Tell me how you know!"

I was mute, trying to think of a good explanation. Before I could, he said, "Did you use a time turner?"

I didn't answer at first, then I attempted a lie. "I – I don't know what that is."

He grimaced. "You are one hell of a lousy liar! You did use one! What's going to happen?? Why do you have a cage??" He shook me as he spat the words out. "I'm not going to get him, am I?" His words sounded desperate. Hopeless. Defeated.

I took a deep breath and touched his face. "Yes. You are. Just ... do what you have to do," I said encouragingly. "It'll work out." I tried to sound confident, but my voice broke slightly. "I have to go."

He stared at me in shock as I looked back, tracing his features mentally. In case I never saw him again.

Then I leaned over to him and gave him a soft kiss. "I love you. I will always love you. I will never stop. Be careful."

He found his voice. "And I love you, Laura. More than anything. If ... something happens, we both know that for sure this time, right?"

I almost cried. "Nothing's going to happen," I whispered. "Now, you go do your thing and I'll do mine." I thought again, and said, "If you see me later, uh, don't worry. I'll be alright. Now stay close to the Willow, out of sight. Just do what feels right," I repeated.

We kissed again, more slowly this time. He touched my hair, my face, squeezed my hand ...

Then he was gone.

I took the cage, now growing heavy, and headed off in the darkness for my waiting spot.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I sat in the darkness for an eternity, it seemed. I was positioned close by so I could see the Whomping Willow clearly. I trained my eyes on it every few minutes, willing myself not to jump up and go interrupt what was happening there. Before long I saw Sirius/Padfoot dragging Harry's friend down into the hollow at the tree's base, and cringed again when I noticed the odd angle of his leg. Then I could see the tree going after Harry and Hermione, until they were able to get through the tangle of branches and make their way down into the tunnel. I wondered where the other Harry and Hermione were, and if they could see what was happening also.

Eventually Lupin came along, silencing the tree, and I followed shortly thereafter. But as soon as I reached the base of the trunk, there was Snape, who immediately stupefied me, in revenge. I watched myself fall over and vowed I would get him for that. Then I clutched my wand nervously, periodically wiping sweat off my hand and worrying that the wand might slip when I needed it. I practiced any spells I thought I would need, flicking the wand in the dim glow of a moon that hadn't quite shown itself yet. I kept the worst thoughts at bay, telling myself this plan _was_ going to work. I had set the cage, door open and ready for the rat, close by and convenient for me to shove him in there when the time came.

After several more minutes of waiting in the increasing cold, which I now knew from experience was due to dementors growing ever closer, I noticed, with renewed panic, all parties exiting the Whomping Willow. Lupin and Pettigrew were chained, along with an injured Ron. I could see Snape lying prostrate, floating through the air, and Sirius speaking to Harry as they emerged. Sirius spotted me and sank down beside me as I slowly awoke. He murmured words in my ear, and kissed me. Then he helped me to my feet, and we stood a few moments talking before he convinced me to go back up to the castle. I saw myself turn and leave reluctantly.

The night grew brighter. Stars dimmed as a cloud continued to float lazily across the sky, revealing the full moon. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Remus begin his horrible transformation and the resulting chaos. Sirius was screaming at the kids to run away. As I watched these events unfold, I held my wand at the ready as Sirius transformed, defending them from the werewolf. After fighting with Sirius/Padfoot for a few minutes, the Lupin werewolf turned and raced off into the forest.

Just then Pettigrew picked up Lupin's discarded wand, hurling curses around him, which knocked Harry's friend and Crookshanks unconscious in short order. He then suddenly shrivelled up, or at least it appeared that way, as he turned into the rat while Harry hurled a spell aimed at him. The rat bounded away and was headed straight for me, but I stayed hidden until just the right moment. Then, when I knew I could wait no longer, I stood up and whispered "_Stupefy_!" fiercely. A burst of light emanated from my wand as Wormtail halted immediately and lay there motionless but still breathing. I picked him up roughly and thrust him into the cage. Victory.

Suddenly I remembered I had a husband on the scene, who was likely injured. I looked around wildly, trying to find him. As soon as I spied him, he galloped away from the glade and into the woods, blood flying in huge droplets from his muzzle and body as he fled. I ached to follow him, but knew I had to return to the castle with Pettigrew. It was the only reason I was there, and I couldn't deviate from that plan.

A chill permeated the air, and I could see what looked like hundreds of dementors swarming around the sky in the direction Sirius had taken. I staggered to my feet, holding the cage, and reluctantly hurried off toward the castle, saying a silent prayer for Sirius, and that Harry and Hermione would be successful.

Not even five minutes later, as I trekked back toward Hogwarts, I noticed another glow, not the moon this time, but something white, indescribable, emanating from the woods where Sirius had disappeared. The same dementors were now hurling away through the sky, their dark shadows accents against the white-hot radiance. I watched for a moment in wonder and with tears in my eyes, hoping with all my heart this meant Harry had managed to save Sirius.

Once back at the castle, I followed Dumbledore's urgently issued instructions to the letter. I raced up the stairs to his office, pleading with the immobile stone statue before I remembered the correct password he had given me. Then the stairs shifted and I was carried up further until I came to his door. I knocked frantically. The door opened and Dumbledore stood there, looking down at me holding my cage. The _stupefy _spell was slowly wearing off; the rat seemed to be regaining movement. He uttered a terrified squeak when he saw Dumbledore again, scrambling to the back of the cage as if protecting himself.

Dumbledore actually smiled with satisfaction. "I wondered when you were going to show up again," he said pleasantly to the rat. "Come in," he added to me. "We'll wait here. I take it you went back to get him?" He motioned toward Pettigrew. I nodded, wondering how he knew. "Where and when did you leave from?" he asked.

"With Harry and Hermione, in the hospital wing. It was right about midnight." My voice was scratchy, and I cleared my throat nervously.

He said nothing further, but merely sat behind his desk appearing supremely unconcerned, fingers entwined and resting on his stomach. I wondered why he was silent, but waited for him to speak first. The rat continued to squeak hysterically, but both of us ignored him.

Several minutes passed as I squirmed uncomfortably, then a distant bell tolled one time to indicate that it was 11:30. Almost midnight.

Suddenly Dumbledore stood up and announced, "Time to go, Laura." The rat squeaked even louder and was rewarded with a few taps from the professor's wand, rendering him immobile once more.

"That should take care of him for a while," Dumbledore said, smiling at me. "I fortified the cage as well. If he wakes up, he has no way to transform or escape. Even if he tries anything, Fawkes will let me know. Now, we need to visit the infirmary." He patted my shoulder encouragingly.

I rose and followed him out of the office, looking back anxiously at the rat, who was unmoving, as promised.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

As we walked out of Dumbledore's office and down the hallway toward the infirmary, my heart pounded in my chest, afraid that the worst was going to happen. The whole time turner concept was confusing enough to make my brain hurt, but I had a feeling that this particular version of me should stay out of the way until the last second, which was right before midnight, when I had originally gone back.

The hallways were empty, all the students having retired to their dormitories already. The echoes of our footfalls pounded around us, then we were approaching the hospital wing. The professor motioned for me to deposit myself in a tiny alcove close by the infirmary, so no one could easily spot me. Then, I was to enter when the clock began to chime the hour. He left me then, entering the wing with a final wink in my direction.

Several minutes had passed, then I heard rapidly approaching footsteps of more than one person. I leaned back into the shadows, hiding, then as they came near to the door, I saw that it was Harry and Hermione. Just at that moment, the bell began to toll the midnight hour. Dumbledore emerged just as they opened the door. I went to them quickly, touching Harry's arm silently.

He looked at me, startled, then with relief when he saw it was me.

"What happened?" I whispered anxiously. "Did you get him?"

He smiled. "We did," he said breathlessly, then the three of us walked in to see the other group of us disappearing into nothingness. I grew teary-eyed once more with relief. Dumbledore looked at Harry. "Well?"

"He's gone, on Buckbeak," Harry said with a grin.

I started at this. "Gone?" I asked in surprise and dismay.

"Yeah, he figured it was best until we knew for sure if you had gotten Pettigrew. Did you?" I nodded.

We quickly entered the room, and Dumbledore left, locking the door behind him.

"Is he okay, Harry?" I asked, sniffing. I wiped my eyes absently.

"Oh yeah," he reassured me, smiling proudly. "He -"

His words were interrupted by the sound of an angry voice, growing ever louder, and another one joining it in argument. Then Professor Snape entered the infirmary, pushing the heavy door back with a _bang _in his anger. Fudge and Dumbledore followed him.

Confusion reigned as Madame Pomfrey, in the midst of Snape's rant, argued indignantly for them to leave her patients alone, but she was largely ignored.

Snape launched into a long protracted rant about Sirius' escape, as I stood there in shock at his venomous diatribe. Fudge's expression went from shock to anger at this behavior, and back to shock again, until Snape eventually stormed out in the mother of all snits.

Fudge suddenly noticed me standing there, observing the whole mess. "I think it best for you to come with me," he said coldly. "We have some things to discuss regarding your _husband._"

I looked to Dumbledore for reassurance, and he gave me a tiny wink. "Well, Cornelius, I believe a long talk is definitely in order. Let us all return to my office." He put a gentle hand on my shoulder, guiding me along. Which was good, considering my legs were now the consistency of rubber. I turned to look longingly at Harry again, wishing he could give me more information. But there was no time now.

We walked back to the office, more calmly than last time, though Fudge kept shooting me nasty looks. When we arrived, the minister immediately began to pace, evidently thinking furiously about what to do with me. He vaguely noticed the cage containing the scruffy, half-bald rat but didn't pay it much notice. I saw Dumbledore flick his wand toward it, and the rat slowly came back to life. As he blinked his small beady eyes, he saw that the Minister of Magic was standing in the room with him, and immediately started squealing in renewed terror. Fudge stopped, staring at this anomaly.

"Dumbledore, what's the matter with your rat?" he asked, irritated.

The professor smiled. "He realizes that it's all over now, I presume." As these cryptic words registered with Fudge, who didn't yet comprehend the meaning behind them, Dumbledore pulled out a small amber bottle which he handed to Fudge.

"Read the contents, but silently," he commanded.

Fudge looked increasingly bilious, as though he'd had a bad supper, but took the bottle, examining it.

He shrugged, as if to say, "so?" then glanced at me covertly, assuming that Dumbledore wanted me to take it.

"Do you agree that it's authentic?" Dumbledore asked.

"Absolutely," he agreed with a smug look at me.

The professor took his wand, waving it once more in the direction of the cage. Nothing seemed to happen. But he walked over to it and carefully unfastened the latch. Reaching in, he gently took hold of the panicking rat, and removed him. Fudge watched him, perplexed.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing, Dumbledore?" he demanded.

Dumbledore merely smiled at him, then set the rat down. Before Pettigrew could move two inches, however, he was hit with a spell. As Fudge and I watched incredulously, the rat became larger, legs and arms branching out, facial features quickly becoming distinctly human, until a short snivelling man stood before us, clearly terrified. Fudge didn't look so happy, himself, but regarded the man in front of him with no small degree of alarm.

"Who on earth is this?!" he asked, backing away.

"This," Dumbledore said quietly, "is Peter Pettigrew."

Fudge sputtered. "Pettigrew?! But he's d-dead!"

I stood still throughout this exchange, waiting for some acknowledgement before speaking.

"That's what he wanted everyone to think, these past twelve years. Do you not recall, though, Laura here telling you about him?" Dumbledore delivered these words casually, as if talking about the weather. Fudge appeared increasingly dyspeptic.

"No!!" cried Pettigrew suddenly. He then whined pitifully, looking wildly around the room.

"I think it's time." Dumbledore stated, ignoring Peter. He tilted his head in the vaguest motion toward the amber bottle filled with liquid.

Fudge looked increasingly bewildered, but nodded his head slowly in agreement.

Before Pettigrew could react in any way, Dumbledore grabbed the bottle, popped the cork, and gripped him by the hair, forcing his head back. He thrust the entire contents of the flask down the other man's throat, Pettigrew choking as he shook his head back and forth. When the professor was satisfied that the contents had been swallowed entirely, he stood straight and tall. Pettigrew now slumped a bit, eyes glazed over.

"Tell me your name." Dumbledore spoke clearly, fiercely.

"Peter Pettigrew." The answers were flat, without emotion.

"Where have you been the last twelve years?"

"Living as a rat."

"Where?"

"The pet of a wizard family."

"What is their name?"

"Weasley."

"You are an animagus?"

"Yes."

"When did you learn this?"

"As a student at Hogwarts."

"What happened on October 31, 1981?"

"People died."

"Who?"

"James and Lily Potter. Twelve muggles in London."

"Who killed them?"

"I killed the muggles."

"Who killed James and Lily Potter?"

"Lord Voldemort."

"How did he know where to find them?"

"I told him where they were."

"How did you know?"

"I was their secret keeper."

"Who made you secret keeper?"

"James Potter."

"Was someone else secret keeper before you?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Sirius Black."

"Why were you made secret keeper after him?"

"As a bluff."

"What does that mean?"

"They thought Lord Voldemort would never think to use me for his cause."

"Who thought that?"

"Sirius Black and James Potter."

"Why did you tell Lord Voldemort about James and Lily?"

"He ordered me to tell him where they were."

"Were you working for him?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Over a year."

"Did Sirius Black kill anyone on October 31, 1981?"

"No."

"Why was he in the street that day?"

"Trying to kill me."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because I betrayed his friends."

"You caused the explosion?"

"Yes."

"What happened to your finger?"

At this point Fudge looked wildly at the hand in question.

"I took it off myself."

"Why?"

"To make it look like I'd been blown up."

"Sirius Black went to prison for twelve years for _your_ crimes?"

"Yes."

Dumbledore looked at Fudge at this point, who was busy staring at Pettigrew in horror. "Have you heard enough? Or shall I continue?" he asked softly.

Fudge, who appeared shellshocked, shook his head slowly. He turned to me for the first time in several minutes, and said, "Do you know where Black is?"

I shook my head mutely. I had no idea where he had gone.

As Pettigrew stood there as if in a trance, Fudge slumped down in the nearest chair, trying to absorb this new information.

"Black is ... innocent." He stated it flatly. "Merlin's beard, the Daily Prophet will have a field day with us."

I turned to him and spoke for the first time in several minutes as Pettigrew stood, still wooden. "You poor thing," I said, not bothering to control my fury and contempt. "And here my husband has rotted away in prison for twelve years, not knowing he had a son. My heart was broken, wondering what the _hell _happened to him. I was _institutionalized _once because of it, for God's sake. _You _never even gave him a trial. I hope they crucify you." I had fresh tears in my eyes when I was done.

He had the grace to look abashed at this, but stayed quiet for a moment.

"Here's what's going to happen," I said next, tears streaming down my face. I pointed my finger in his face. "_You _will give him a full pardon, publicly. _You _will proclaim his innocence in every major newspaper and media outlet, wizard, muggle, whatever. _You _will admit that the ministry screwed up twelve years ago. _You _will make amends no matter how it makes you look. Do you understand?"

He appeared stony faced and defiant at first, but then I yelled, "We've suffered _enough_!" and he gave a deep sigh, saying "alright" in the direction of the floor.

"I want your word you will not hurt Sirius any more."

He nodded slightly. "Is that a yes?" Dumbledore asked, for the record.

"Yes." he said, though it obviously killed him. Bastard.

Then, inspiration struck. I took another look at the snivelling coward Pettigrew standing before me, and before he knew what was happening, I kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, wheezing. Fudge looked helplessly at Dumbledore, who suddenly had decided to examine his fingernails. I felt good for the first time all night.


	30. The Day After

_Sirius_

Buckbeak snorted sleepily from the back of the cave. Sirius turned to check on him, then looked back around and leaned up against a large rock at the cave's entrance. It was the middle of the night and he, having been up for over twenty-four hours straight, should be absolutely exhausted. But his mind was racing and he couldn't stop reliving the events of the previous evening. His first conversation with Harry ... seeing his wife for what he had thought was the last time ... watching Lupin's horrible transformation and trying to protect the kids from him. Was it possible Laura had managed to capture Pettigrew once and for all? He wondered when and how he might find out. The thought of the rat being on the loose once again was too much to bear. He gingerly touched the areas of broken flesh on his shoulder where Remus had cut a deep gash. It ached uncomfortably and he wished desperately for a wand so he could heal it. Then his stomach grumbled with hunger, which he tried to ignore. His accursed wand had been lost when he went after the werewolf, and now he was unable even to apparate to Laura's house in Hogsmeade for food. He hoped she was alright, and the baby hadn't been injured. He cringed when he remembered knocking her over. He had thought for sure, in his initial shock at seeing her just outside the castle door, that she had been a trick designed to capture him.

Then his thoughts turned back to Harry. His _godson_. In the very brief period before Lupin's change, then again in the courtyard just after landing with Buckbeak, they had managed to speak. He had his first close look at the boy in a long time, and couldn't believe the resemblance to his old friend James. And Lily. But mostly Harry looked liked James Potter, bringing back a flood of memories from years earlier. One particular bit of conversation came back to him, from in the courtyard. Just as he was about to leave, Harry had looked at him sadly.

"_Don't look like that, Harry. You saved my life. I'll deal with it if Pettigrew hasn't been caught." He took Harry's face in his hands, studying him closely._

"_Sirius, it's ... something else. Something I need to tell you. I'm afraid you'll hate me." Harry ruffled his hair unconsciously and Sirius was reminded of James Potter once more. _

"_Well, now, that would never happen. You can tell me anything." He smiled tenderly at the boy._

_Harry took a deep breath. "Back in the winter, I, uh, found out your wife had caught Scabbers ... I mean, Pettigrew." He stopped, suddenly afraid to go on._

_Sirius recalled that night clearly, when Laura had confessed to losing the rat. "Yes, he escaped, though. Laura hadn't latched the cage correctly."_

"_No. She had it locked," he admitted. He looked miserable. "I ran into Ron's brothers, I guess it was right after she got him. They thought it was a laugh. Ron's rat for a hundred galleons. Then I found out she used _my_ cage to get him. Of course, she was married to you, and I thought you were a murderer. I didn't like her. I guess I was furious that she would pull something like that, and it didn't make any sense." He paused again, and Sirius didn't take his eyes off him. Harry breathed deeply once more, and continued hurriedly. "I pulled out the Marauder's Map and saw that she was in Lupin's office with him. Then I convinced Fred and George to set off a dung bomb in the hallway, and I ran in while everyone was distracted and got the cage open. When I tried to grab him, he bit me, and I dropped him. He ran off." Harry looked at Sirius. "I'm so sorry. You could have been free long before now. It's my fault. I just thought you should know."_

_Sirius looked down for a moment in silence. He didn't really know what to say. "Harry ... it's - it's alright. I think she got him this time. Please don't worry about it." He smiled reassuringly at the boy. "Well, I should go now. Just in case. If you see Laura, she'll know where to find me." He touched Harry's arm lightly, then after saying goodbye to Hermione, climbed back up on Buckbeak. "We'll see each other again, Harry." Then with a slight yank on the chain that was around the beast's neck, Buckbeak took off, flapping his huge wings until he rose high in the air. Sirius watched carefully for dementors, hoping to hell that they were somewhere else. He had no way to defend himself, and even the thought of them made him feel ill, remembering what had happened earlier in the evening. But the skies were clear, and Buckbeak flew for several minutes before Sirius recognized the familiar area outside Hogsmeade where the cave was._

After all these months, he now felt horrible thinking about his reaction to Laura's previous attempt to get Pettigrew. Thank God for Aberforth, who had saved her that night. He couldn't be angry with Harry now; the boy obviously felt very badly about what he had done, and Sirius supposed he would have done the same if he were in Harry's position. Poor Laura, though, who had blamed herself for that failure. He wanted desperately to see her once more. What was she doing now? Resting in the infirmary?

Even as these thoughts passed through his mind, he heard a gentle _pop_, and turned abruptly around. Albus Dumbledore stood there, looking every bit as tired as Sirius felt. But the headmaster smiled encouragingly at Sirius, who stood motionless at the head of the cave.

"Hello, Sirius."

"Professor," he said warily.

"First things first. Pettigrew is in custody. You are a free man." Dumbledore paused to let the words sink in.

Sirius stared at him unbelievingly. "Well, you'll understand if I'm a bit skeptical by now," he finally said.

"I fully understand. However, I can assure you that I was present as Pettigrew made a full confession under the influence of veritaserum in front of Cornelius Fudge and your wife. Cornelius has wisely agreed to give you a full pardon, publicly. The Daily Prophet and major Muggle news outlets will be running the story in a few hours. Muggles and wizards all over Britain will know you are innocent."

This was almost too much for Sirius to take in. He didn't move a muscle as Dumbledore delivered this news, but his eyes filled with tears, and he swallowed a sudden lump in his throat.

Finally, he said, "How is Laura? Where is she?" He wiped his eyes with the back of a hand but otherwise gave no evidence of any emotion.

"She is sleeping. She's doing very well. Just exhausted, as I expect you are. She told me where I would most likely find you. She asked me to tell you she would speak to James first thing in the morning, if that is alright. Then you could meet him whenever you feel up to it."

Sirius' eyes lit up. He could finally meet his _son._ Hopefully. What if James didn't want to meet him, though? He brushed the thought aside, aggravated that he was ruining this moment for himself.

"I'd like to go back now, then," he said gruffly.

"Ah, I thought you might," Dumbledore said gently.

"I don't have my wand, though," Sirius admitted. "And we can't apparate there, anyway, can we?"

"Well, one of the perks of being Headmaster is the ability to bypass certain restrictions," the older man said, grinning. "You should have your injuries looked at, and a warm bed at Hogwarts will be much more comfortable than this, I am certain."

"Alright," Sirius said. "But what about Buckbeak?"

Dumbledore looked back at the creature, who had fallen asleep with his beak buried in a wing. "He will be alright for tonight. Either Hagrid or I will retrieve him in the morning. We will have to come up with a hiding place for him, though," he added as an afterthought.

"Well, shall we?" Dumbledore asked, holding an arm out formally. Sirius laughed at the gesture, and hooked his arm in the headmaster's.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Back in the castle, the pair arrived in the headmaster's office. Fawkes gave a sleepy chirp as they appeared. Sirius looked around.

"The last time I was in here, I believe I was being reprimanded for giving Snape a face full of explosive boils." Sirius snorted at the memory. "I'd like to do it again, to be honest."

Dumbledore chose to ignore this comment, but said, "Let's go. We both need sleep." He led the way as they exited his inner sanctum and walked down the hallway. Eventually they wound their way around to the hospital wing. The huge room was quiet, other than light snores coming from a patient in the corner. It was the ginger-haired boy, Ron. Sirius saw a few other sleeping forms close by him, and realized they were Harry and Hermione.

"I'm afraid Poppy is most likely getting a well-deserved rest right now, but I can do some rudimentary healing on your arm. Chocolate? Something to drink?" He held out a large piece he had gotten from Pomfrey's storage cabinet.

Sirius' stomach rumbled in answer. "That would be nice," he said, eyeing it hungrily. Dumbledore handed him a large chunk of it, which he ate quickly. Then he poured a glass of water from a pitcher sitting close by. Sirius looked around the room as he sipped it, stopping at Ron, whose leg was immobilized, having been broken earlier. The boy's arm was bandaged also where Sirius had bitten it earlier in his haste to get the rat. Ron was sleeping well, though, thank goodness.

"Alright, Sirius, why don't you lie down here?" Dumbledore gestured to a nearby cot, and when Sirius reclined, he quickly took his wand, waving it over the cuts and bruises silently. They began to fade instantly.

"Remus is still out there," Sirius said quietly.

"Yes, I know. The students told me." The professor nodded toward them, and finished his work on Sirius' arm. "Well, that should do well enough until Poppy gets a chance to look at you. Do you mind staying in here for the remainder of the night?"

Sirius was amused. "Well, it'll do. Haven't been in this room in quite some time. I feel like a kid again," he said, smiling slightly.

"I promise, you will see your family as soon as possible. I hope you sleep well until then, though." And with those words, he said goodnight and left, softly closing the door behind him and leaving Sirius in the darkness. It took all of five minutes for him to fall asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Laura_

"Laura, how are you this morning?" Albus Dumbledore greeted me cheerfully in his office.

"Wonderful. Still a bit tired, though," I answered, stifling a yawn.

"Well, James should be along soon, and I will leave the two of you in peace," he said.

We waited several minutes before hearing a knock on the door. The headmaster opened it, revealing the head boy followed by a very confused James Black. He looked alarmed upon seeing me, and I stood up, watching him. Our conversation hadn't started yet, but I was already nervous. Then he noticed for the first time my stomach poking out from under the blouse. His eyes widened a bit as he tried to work that one out.

"Well, I shall leave you both now. James, good morning to you," Professor Dumbledore said, nodding in his direction. James looked increasingly bewildered at being ushered into his office. But he walked in, rubbing his eyes at the early hour.

"Mum. What's going on?"

"Morning, darling." I went to hug him. Dumbledore and the head boy exited the office.

"Seriously. Is something wrong?"

"No, James, we just have rather a lot to talk about. Sit down."

He looked suspiciously at me, but did as I asked.

"James." I started, but halted suddenly. Where could I possibly start? Then I thought, the beginning would be the best place.

He watched me with concern. "Mum, are you alright?"

"Absolutely. This is good news, in fact. And, uh, a few surprises, which hopefully, will ..." My voice trailed off. "Right. Last summer. When we moved to Hogsmeade. Remember the dog showing up?"

He nodded, shrugging. "I don't see what -"

"Just let me talk, okay? It'll be easier that way. So the dog showed up. Well, after you left for Hogwarts, I got a surprise myself. Sirius – your dad - was the dog."

He tried to interrupt, but I didn't let him. I held a hand up. "James, _please_. I know this sounds crazy. Your dad is an animagus. I never knew it until after you left for school. But anyway, we talked quite a bit. He told me what happened ... what _really _happened twelve years ago. He was innocent. Peter Pettigrew, the one who was guilty, was also an animagus and had been living as a rat ... Ron Weasley's pet."

James was now looking at me with a very strange expression. "So that was _him_ that I saw when Weasley's curtains were slashed."

I nodded. "He was desperate to get to the rat." I took a deep breath. Where to now? Maybe I should move on ahead and tell him about what had just happened. "Anyway, last night he found out where Pettigrew was hiding. He went after him, but Professor Lupin, ah, ..." I hated to tell him what had happened to Remus. "- had a sudden problem and the rat got away, again. Ron, Harry Potter and that girl, Hermione, tried to help. Sirius was captured and we all thought he would get the dementors' kiss. But the kids used a time turner to go back."

"A what?" James, whose previous expression was skeptical at best, now wore a look of confusion and flat-out disbelief.

"A time turner. You wear it around your neck and go back however many hours you need to ... back in time," I attempted to explain. God, I was butchering this. He would just have to meet Sirius for any of it to make sense.

"So ... we each had a specific job to do. Mine was to catch the rat again. _I got him_, James. He confessed. Harry and Hermione helped Sirius get away until he knew he was safe, and Dumbledore brought him back here earlier this morning." My eyes suddenly filled with tears. He looked stunned.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, moving closer and putting his arm around me. It felt good. Now I couldn't stop crying.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Better than fine. I want you to meet him, James. You need to meet your father." I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, and my son, bless him, took his wand out and conjured some tissues for me, dabbing them against my face. He wasn't used to seeing me cry.

"I met you very early, because all this should be in today's newspaper, and I didn't want you finding out from that. And there's, uh, one more thing." I looked apprehensively at him. "Well, a big thing, anyway. I'm sorry to throw so many big things at you at once, honey." I touched my belly inadvertantly.

"What is it?" he asked gently. Then he looked down where my hand was, and knew. "Oh Mum, you've been -" he paused. "You've been – _Merlin's beard_– you've been-" He pointed at my stomach.

"With your dad, yes," I said, suddenly embarrassed. His expression was right in between _petrified _ and _horrified. _Typical bloody eleven year old. I looked away.

"When were you going to tell me?" He couldn't take his eyes off my belly.

"As soon as school was out."

There was silence.

"What would've happened if Si- if my dad hadn't gotten the rat?" he asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"We had talked about moving to America. You would still go to Hogwarts, of course," I added hastily at his panicked expression, "but it would be too dangerous for him to stay here."

"James," I said gently, "do you want to meet your father now? Or would you rather wait?"

"Oh – I - " he began awkwardly, "yeah, I guess. I mean – I wouldn't know what to say, though," he suddenly blurted out.

"That's alright. You don't have to say much. He'll understand, I promise. What do you think?"

He barely nodded.

"Well, I'll have to go and find him ... I'm not sure where he is right now. Do you want to wait here? Or go with me?"

"I'll go with you," he said, with another quick look at my belly before he glanced away.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

We walked down the hallway. More students and staff were about by now. The students didn't pay us much attention, but several staff members positively gaped at me. I ignored them, wondering where Sirius could be. I knew he had been in the hospital wing earlier; that would be the first place to look.

I opened the door to the infirmary, peeking in first. Madame Pomfrey saw me immediately.

"Laura! How are you feeling, love?" She rushed over to me. "How's the - " she stopped suddenly upon noticing James. "Um, is everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, I'm not too bad. We're looking for Sirius. Any idea where he could be?"

Her face lit up. "Oh, the poor dear! I treated him early this morning. All better now! Merlin, what you've all been through ..." Then she composed herself. "And what an amazing story! Ah, but he – let me see ... he went looking for his wand, I believe. With Harry Potter. They're out on the grounds."

"Harry?" James asked, finding his voice.

"That's another thing," I said faintly. "Harry's our godson."

"Mum, how many _other _things are there?"

"Hopefully, no more," I said. "Do you want to go outside and look for him there?"

He nodded shyly. "Be nice to get outdoors," he said.

We walked through the labyrinth of hallways until we were at an outside door. Just then a few students walked past, looking intently at the new Daily Prophet and talking excitedly about the news regarding Sirius. James looked after them at the mention of his father as they walked by, then went out as I opened the door.

Once outside, we walked around the grounds randomly. I tried to think of where Sirius might have dropped his wand, so we started down toward the Whomping Willow. Nobody was around. I chewed my lip, thinking. Then I remembered the lake where I had seen the glow of Harry's patronus the previous night.

"Let's go down this way," I suggested. We walked through a small wood on the dirt path until we were at the shore of the Black Lake. There they were. Sirius and Harry were standing several yards away, talking. Sirius was looking down, examining his wand and talking animatedly. I watched him, unnoticed, for a moment as James did the same. Sirius' long hair fell down over his eye as he studied the wand, and he looked up at Harry. Harry said something to him, then glanced over our way, doing a double take when he saw me and James standing there. Sirius looked up to see what Harry was goggling at, and noticed us. We all stared at each other for a moment, before they walked over to us. James looked down slightly.

Harry immediately said, "Well, I should be going."

"Oh, no, I don't mean to drive you off," I said quickly. I knew how much seeing Sirius now must mean to Harry, though I really wanted our son to have some time with him, too.

"No, really, I'm fairly hungry. I'll go on to breakfast. 'lo, James," Harry said softly as he began to walk up the path. James nodded back at him. Then he and Sirius regarded each other quickly before James lost his nerve and looked away.

"Well, James, it's nice to finally meet you," Sirius said quietly, clearing his throat. I was glad to have tissues in hand, because I had a feeling I was going to need them soon. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to see this moment." He looked a bit choked up himself, but looked away long enough to regain his bearings. James looked more closely at him, and Sirius smiled.

I decided to ask a neutral question, to hopefully ease the tension. "Did you go to the cave last night?"

"Yes. Albus came to talk to me there. He brought me back with him." We all stood there for a moment. Then Sirius suddenly wrapped his arms around me, hugging me fiercely. "I love you, darling," he said with emotion. I started to cry again, and broke away enough to look at him.

"I love _you_. I'm so glad you're alright," I said through my tears, touching his face with my hand. He kissed me tenderly as James watched us both curiously.

"You're not hurt?" Sirius asked with concern, taking a hand and touching my belly lightly.

"No, everything's fine. James knows," I added, pinking up as I remembered how he had reacted. Then my stomach rumbled loudly. "Well, why don't we get some breakfast?" I said. "I'm sure we're all starving. I am, at least."

"So am I!" Sirius said cheerfully. James nodded shyly but didn't respond. I looked fleetingly between the two of them, struck once again by how similar they looked. It was even more evident seeing them side by side.

We walked back up the path from the lake toward the castle. A few students were hanging around as we drew closer, and they elbowed each other upon seeing us. Sirius seemed rather uncomfortable with the staring, and speeded up.

"Let's go back to the Room of Requirement and eat there ...it'll be more private," I suggested just as Sirius opened the door, revealing more flummoxed students who made no secret of gawking at him. Apparently news around here traveled fast. It was only just after eight, and the whole school seemed to know already.

"Excuse us?" I said, growing impatient. The students silently moved aside as we walked past them and down the hallway. "James, do you want to eat with us?" I thought to ask. I had just assumed he would. I took Sirius' hand in encouragement as we made our way toward the room.

"Oh - well, sure," he said. "But I'm supposed to be in class before too long." He shot Sirius another furtive glance. We arrived at our destination, to Sirius' obvious relief, and walked in. Now in addition to a neatly made bed was a table and chairs, decked out with flatware and cloth napkins.

I shook my head in awe, laughing. "This place is amazing! I'll go hunt us down some food." I kissed both of them and left, thinking it best to let them dive into a conversation without me there for a few minutes.

Once I made it to the Great Hall, most students had arrived for breakfast. I saw Harry and his friends sitting at their table with a large crowd gathered around them. Some heads swiveled as I walked in. Professor Flitwick saw me and rushed over.

"Laura, my dear! Have some breakfast! Here, sit down," he said jovially, beaming at me. I smiled back at him.

"Thanks, but I was going to take some food for Sirius, James and myself. They're in the come and go room."

"Oh! Well, then, you go right back to them. I'll arrange for a house elf to bring everything you need. Go and rest. I heard that you had a long night!" He winked at me and patted my back, and I was reminded of how much I liked him.

"Thank you," I said again. "That would be very nice!"

"Oh, and have you seen the Daily Prophet today?" he asked as an afterthought.

"No, haven't had a chance."

"Well, here, take my copy. Should be an interesting read for you. I heard Dumbledore has been refusing to let them on Hogwarts grounds. They're dying to interview Sirius."

"Oh, great," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm really not sure if he would be up to that just yet." _Or ever, _I thought wryly.

"Exactly! Which is what Albus told them. Be warned, though. They'll be looking for an exclusive with him soon enough."

"Thanks for the heads-up," I said wryly. "See you later."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

When I arrived back at the Room holding the rolled-up paper, Sirius and James looked up at the same time. They seemed to have been in deep conversation, and I wondered what they had been talking about.

"Well ... a house elf is supposed to - " My words were interrupted by a soft knock. "That must be them!" I opened the door to see a slight female elf holding a large tray. "Here, let me help you," I said. She had very large liquid brown eyes which she quickly cast down. She shook her head quickly.

"Oh, no! You stay put. Here you is, Miss," she said, lugging the heavy tray over to the table for me. "You enjoy," she added, then, with a quick look at Sirius and James, exited the room.

We sat down at the table, and I handed Sirius the paper. "Here, I haven't read it yet." He glanced at it, but didn't pick it up.

"Thanks. I'll eat first, though," he said, hungrily checking out the spread in front of us.

"Can I see?" James asked eagerly. He seemed to have lost a bit of his shyness, fortunately.

"Sure," I said, handing it over to him. He unrolled it, looking at the front page. In large letters, the headline _Sirius Black Innocent!! _blinked wildly. But the picture accompanying it wasn't of Sirius, for once. It was Peter Pettigrew, in the same pose as Sirius' old mug shot, evidently screaming his lungs out as he was forced to hold a chart with obscure rune symbols. Several wands were pointed at him, presumably to prevent him changing to a rat. It appeared that he would have loved nothing more than to do just that.

"I'm just glad the _Prophet_ doesn't come with sound," Sirius said, grinning. "The entire castle would be filled with the screams of Pettigrew begging for his mummy." Our eyes met then, as James continued to read. We desperately needed some alone time. Finally I looked back at my food.

"Apparently they're gunning to get an interview with you," I said, raising an eyebrow as I munched on a piece of toast.

"Yes, well, that will just have to wait. I've more important things to worry about, like spending time with my family." He looked meaningfully at me once more.

Just then there was another knock at the door. Sirius jumped up. "I'll get it. You eat," he said, touching my shoulder as he went by. He opened the door to reveal Professor Dumbledore.


	31. Everyone is Kept Waiting, Part I

**Rated 'M' for sexual situations.**

"Hello again!" the headmaster exclaimed. He looked considerably fresher for getting at least a few hours of sleep. "May I come in, just for a moment?"

"Of course," Sirius said, opening the door further. Dumbledore walked in a few steps and Sirius closed it behind him. "Would you like to sit down?" The headmaster shook his head, then smiled at James and me.

"I promise, I won't keep you long," he said, turning back to Sirius. "This concerns Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry. They would like to have a formal procedure to acquit you, and the plan is to have it at the Ministry headquarters in London. Now -"

"No, thank you," Sirius said.

Dumbledore paused in confusion. "You don't want that?"

"Oh, I'm all for a formal acquittal. I would prefer to have it here, though." While the professor thought about this, Sirius explained, "You'll remember the last time I got invited to the Ministry? I didn't see the light of day for twelve years after that. If they want to go through with this, I would rather it be _here _instead, where I have friends... if that's alright with you, of course."

"I understand. There shouldn't be any reason for Fudge to refuse that. And _I_ certainly do not object. The only problem is, OWLs and NEWTs are coming up very shortly. So it is rather important to have it as soon as possible, so the students may get back to revising for them. When would be acceptable to you?"

Considering how many things had been out of Sirius' control for so many years, I liked Dumbledore even more than usual for actively involving him in this process.

"Um, tomorrow? Would that work? That'll give me a bit more time with my family, and Harry."

"That will be perfect. I'll tell Cornelius." Dumbledore had a gleam in his eye, most likely at the thought of commanding Fudge to show up here on Sirius' terms.

"Now that we have that squared away, let me inform you quickly that the _Daily Prophet_ are being a bit, uh, _persistent_ about being given an interview with you. Is this something you might consent to, or shall I tell them to – don't repeat this, James – _shove it_?"

I burst into peals of laughter at his uncharacteristic use of the term, and Dumbledore's exasperation. I could just imagine how much the newspaper must have been pestering him. James joined me, snickering loudly. He would most likely rush right out and repeat it to all his friends anyway.

"Ah, I dunno. Maybe eventually. No time soon. I'm assuming they will be here for the -" he flapped his hand in dismissal, "- _thing_ tomorrow? That ought to do them for now."

The headmaster nodded with a little smile, and winked at James as he opened the door. "I shall leave you in peace, then. I'll speak to you later about the details."

James scarfed up his eggs and toast and slurped some tea. Sirius looked on in amusement, while carefully studying his son at the same time.

"James -" he began haltingly, "could I see you later this afternoon? When you're out of classes?"

James' face lit up. "Yeah! Well, uh, where?"

Sirius now wore an expression equal to his son's. "How about the Whomping Willow? Something I want to show you there. Just don't get in its path!" he added, chuckling.

James nodded eagerly. "I"ll meet you there, about three?"

"Sounds good." Sirius smiled broadly as James stood up.

"I should be going," he said. "I need to change before my class starts." He leaned over and kissed me, then said, "Bye mum, Si- I mean, uh, Dad?"

Sirius couldn't have looked more pleased. "Goodbye, James," he said softly as James left the room. Then he turned his attention to me and regarded me silently for a moment. "Had enough to eat?" His voice was even softer now.

I looked up at him and put my fork down. "Yes. You?"

"Oh yes. Of food, anyway." He stood up. "I need a shower. Join me."

I started to answer, but there was another knock at the door. Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes. "Maybe you could get that? It might be a bit embarrassing if I answer the door in my present state."

I giggled at this and his subsequent strategic placement of a napkin in his lap, then rose to answer the door. It was Dumbledore yet again.

"Laura, Sirius, I really must apologize for intruding once more. However, I have just spoken to Cornelius via the fire and he says he ... won't be able to hold the conference tomorrow. He, um, asked me to suggest this evening. Would that be alright?" he asked delicately.

Sirius nodded quickly. "Works for me. What time do we need to be there?"

"Ah, six-thirty, I believe, should do it. Will that -"

"Good," Sirius answered abruptly. "We'll be there!"

Dumbledore obviously didn't miss this attempt to dismiss him, and said, "I'll let him know. Sorry to have bothered you again." He smiled at me and turned to leave. I closed the door behind him.

"Now, if anyone else knocks, we are _not _here, right?" Sirius asked with a glint of humor in his eye.

"Yes, _sir_," I answered, leaning up against the door. He rose and walked over to me. "Um, Sirius?"

He began to kiss my neck. "Yes?" he murmured.

"I _really _hate to ask this, but could we go back to our house?"

He pulled back and looked at me. "No," he said succinctly. Then he resumed kissing my neck.

"No, really. There's something I want to give you, and it's at home."

"Well, there's something I've been dying to give _you_, and it is right _here_." He pulled my hand down so I could feel his hardness. I was sorely tempted to forget my idea, but at the same time I was rather tired of being at Hogwarts and wanted to escape for a bit.

"Could we do it at home? Please?"

He groaned in exasperation. "Oh, alright. Let's go. Now!" He reluctantly pulled away from me with one last lingering kiss.

Taking my hand, he practically speed-walked through the labyrinth of hallways. I noticed the door to the Room of Requirement growing smaller as we left until there was no door, just a wall. But Sirius wasted no time getting us out of the castle, past more gaping students, though at least the crowd had thinned out. Most of them were probably in class by now, I thought.

Then he marched me outside and all the way to the gates. Once through, he took no notice of the guard staring at us in astonishment, nor of the persistent _Daily Prophet _reporters outside the gates who tried to rush after us, but gathered me in his arms, pulling his wand out. We disappeared.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Now! Where were we, beautiful?" Sirius gently pushed me down on the bed and started kissing me in earnest once more.

"Well, I was going to give you something. Let me do that first, okay?"

He sighed and rolled over on his back. "Alright," he said with a little smile. "But _hurry_."

I looked into the closet for the small box and, finding it, pulled it out and took it to Sirius. "Here."

He took it, pulling apart the ribbon. Before he opened it, I remembered something.

"Only thing is, if you don't want to know what the baby is, you probably shouldn't open it."

"Know what the baby is? What does that mean?"

"You know, boy or girl," I attempted to explain.

He laughed a little. "And how exactly do you know that? Some old wives' tale?"

"An ultrasound, actually. It's a muggle thing. They use a wand ... no, not _that _kind of wand, but something that records sound waves to show images of the baby. They can usually see what sex the baby is."

He was now intrigued. "So you know what it is, then?"

"Yeah, I decided I couldn't wait." I grinned. "Anyway, this," I pointed to the box, "will tell you, if you want to know."

He looked at it for a moment, then opened it. "I don't want to wait, either." He pulled out a small silver rattle. The words _It's a girl _were engraved on it. He read the inscription, then looked at me in astonishment.

"There's something else in there," I said. He peered into the box again, and pulled out a small black and white picture. "Our daughter," I said. He examined the picture closely. "She looks just like me, don't you think?" I joked.

He laughed out loud. "To tell you the truth, I can't make head nor tail out of this."

"That's because you have it upside down," I answered, giggling. I flipped it the other way. "Now. Here's the head. A leg. Toes. And there are the girly bits."

He put an arm around me, stroking my back. "We're going to have a little girl."

"Why don't you think about names? I got to name James ... it's your turn. If you want," I added. "_And _if you don't use 'Walburga'." I laughed at my own joke. I knew Sirius wouldn't use that name in a million years. He smiled at me.

"Well," he said, rubbing his suddenly moist eyes, "Thank you, dear." He kissed me thoroughly.

"Not to change the subject," he said, "but I've a few things to tell you now. Back when you caught Pettigrew the first time, he got away because someone ... intentionally let him go. It wasn't because the cage was unlocked."

"What do you mean? Where did you hear that?"

"Harry told me. He let him go."

I sat back in shock. "So ... why'd he do that?"

He repeated his earlier conversation with Harry. "Laura, I hope you're not upset with him. It was really because of me that he let the rat go ... you were guilty by association, y'know?"

I cringed, remembering that night. I doubted I would ever forget what it felt like to be in the middle of a crowd of dementors. "Well," I said, "doesn't matter now, I guess. He's caught."

Our conversation was interrupted by an abrupt rap at the door. Sirius groaned once more and went to the window.

"Who is it?" I asked, wiping away a few tears.

"Bloody reporter again, looks like," he said flatly. "Merlin's beard, they're not going to leave me alone, are they?" This observation was accented by even more persistent knocking.

"You want me to get it? Pretend you're not here?" I asked.

"No, they'll go away eventually." He sat back down next to me. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, it's nothing. Just hadn't thought of that night in a while."

The knocking finally stopped. I laid down on the bed and Sirius joined me. We faced each other.

"I'm reminded of our first night back together. Can you believe it was almost a year ago? I still remember it well."

"Singing 'Follow You, Follow Me.' Yeah, I remember." I smiled and looked at his face, which was more relaxed now that the knocking had stopped.

"Have I told you I used to dream about you, in Azkaban? All the time." His hand traced the curve of my cheek. "They were good dreams, but in a way, horrible. I guess that doesn't make sense."

I raised my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I would always dream that we were making love, or doing something fun, just being together. They were so _real_. That was the only time I was ever close to _happy_ in Azkaban, when I was sleeping. I could practically taste you; it was like you were right in front of me. But then I would wake up, and a dementor would be hovering over me, trying to steal those thoughts. I would have to transform so they didn't destroy me. And then I would remember that I was never going to see you again."

I touched his face now. "I'm so sorry I couldn't find you. I would have come. I would have tried my best to get you out of that place."

"Don't ever apologize, Laura. You would never have been able to do anything," he said gently. "And we have each other now. Though I sometimes worry what kind of husband I can be after all that. I don't ever want to hurt you."

I smiled. "After 'all that,' and everything we've been through since then, I think we can handle pretty much anything by now."

"I haven't thanked you yet for what you did last night," he said softly. "You saved my life. You and Harry and his friends. I'm so lucky to have you."

I yawned. "I'm the lucky one. You're going to be a wonderful father, Sirius."

He gave me a little smile. "You think so? I haven't a clue what to do, with James or ...her." He pointed to my belly. "Which reminds me, what do you think of Livia for a girl?"

I sighed noisily. "Do you _still _have that crush on Olivia Newton-John?"

"I never had a crush on her!" he exclaimed indignantly, but with a gleam in his eye. "And what about that Han guy?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Han?"

"The guy from _Star _thingy or whatever. You can't tell me you weren't swooning whenever he was on the screen."

"Oh come on. That was just a movie. He couldn't compare to being married to a _wizard_, anyway." I grinned at him. "Though he was pretty hot, you can't deny," I added.

"I hadn't noticed. Anyway, I wasn't remotely thinking of _that _Olivia. Just a thought."

"I like it. _Livia._ Leaving the 'O' off is better."

He laid there, relaxing. "Did I ever tell you that I bought your ring before I even told you I was a wizard?"

I laughed. "You must have known I was a sure thing. But I suppose that _was_ a bit risky. Trust me, I knew I wanted to marry you long before you ever asked me, though. And I will _never_ forget the night you told me about being a wizard. You'd been to an Order meeting, hadn't you?"

He thought. "Yes, that was it. I showed the ring to Lily. She approved," he added, grinning at the memory. "She loved you."

"Well, I loved her, too. And James. I really miss them. We'd been out to dinner that night, right?"

"Yes, then I had to leave for the meeting. Did I ever tell you about that?"

I shook my head. "No. What happened?"

"Well, not much...just the usual. I remember a witch, Marlene, being upset with me."

"Well, do tell," I said. I was always interested in wizarding trivialities.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_There was a protracted silence after the group had assembled. "Where's Sirius?" _

_Remus Lupin and Frank Longbottom leaned up against a countertop, munching on some popcorn that Marlene McKinnon had put in a bowl. "Someone did tell him the correct place, right?" Remus asked._

_James spoke up. "Yeah, he knows." He was reluctant to admit where the absent order member was, which was currently out to dinner with his muggle girlfriend. Wasn't his place to tell everyone, though. "I'm sure he'll show up soon," he said confidently and grabbed a handful of popcorn. Lily stood next to him and took a few pieces for herself from James' hand. _

"_Well," said Marlene, who sighed dramatically, "let's get started. Someone can catch him up later." She appeared to be slightly put off by Sirius' absence, and her annoyed tone indicated that it would be someone other than her bringing him up to date. James carefully looked away. It was commonly known, but never mentioned, how the temperamental brunette witch harbored a fondness for Sirius since they had been seventh years at Hogwarts. After a few dates with him several months earlier, her attraction to him had only increased, while he had lost interest quickly. She evidently still held out hope, though._

_The group sat around Marlene's tiny kitchen, practically shoulder to shoulder, as she began the meeting. Various reports of death eater sightings were mentioned, and order members gave their own accounts of their clandestine activities to combat Voldemort's followers. Remus had begun his own report, when a muffled pop sounded in the next room, and a moment later, Sirius sidled into the kitchen, hoping to remain unnoticed, and stood behind James at the back of the room. Marlene saw him, however, and her face brightened considerably at first. He was dressed to the nines. He removed his long black wool coat, and Lily even glanced appreciatively at him. He was wearing a dark purple shirt with a black waistcoat and black pinstripe trousers. The costume was a bit out of style for 1979, but he was breathtaking in any event. Sirius didn't even look Marlene's way, but said something to James under his breath. They both grinned. Her eyes narrowed at his disregard, and she turned back to Lupin, who was finishing up his account regarding the latest intelligence on Voldemort and his bid to recruit werewolves. _

_James gave Sirius another sidelong grin at something his friend had whispered to him, and Marlene suddenly whirled around. "Where've you been, Sirius?" she asked loudly, so everyone could take note of his late appearance. Sirius picked up a handful of popcorn and shrugged. "Meeting with a friend. Ran a bit late." He made no apology, and at her failure to embarrass him, Marlene turned back around and whispered something waspishly to one of her girlfriends standing next to her. Sirius glanced at James and rolled his eyes. He was sorry he'd ever gone out with her, if this was how she was going to be from now on. _

"_Have a nice time?" Lily whispered. The three were standing in the back of the group and their inattention wasn't noticed by the various members droning on. _

"_Yeah, wonderful," Sirius answered softly. He gave her such a dazzling smile that she couldn't help but beam back at him, happy that this girl was something really special to him. He didn't say another word, but took a small box out of his jacket and handed it to her. She looked at him speculatively, then took the box and opened it. She gasped and mouthed, "Oh my God," lightly touching the ring admiringly. James, who had already known about this, wasn't as surprised, but was just as impressed. Sirius had admitted earlier in the fall that he thought he would like to marry her. Looked like that event was now looming brighter on the horizon._

"_When are you going to ask her?" James murmured in between popcorn bites. _

"_Are you three _quite_ finished?" Marlene's voice cut like a knife. Everyone looked back over to them. _

"_If you'd like to have a private conversation, by all means, take it elsewhere." Sirius chose to ignore her, and took back the box from Lily's hand, placing it back in his pocket. He smiled around defiantly at everyone, most of whom, aside from Marlene's friend, were looking sympathetically at him. They had long since figured out why Sirius had lost interest in her._

"_Oh yeah, we're finished," Lily answered lightly. "Please continue." After looking at the beautiful engagement ring, nothing could dampen her spirits, and she patted Sirius' back encouragingly._

_After an interminable amount of time, the meeting finally came to an end. James and Lily stayed close to Sirius, congratulating him on his purchase in low voices. Peter and Remus came over to them. "And what was all _that _about, Padfoot?" Remus asked in a mock-stern voice. _

"_Ah, nothing," Sirius replied breezily. For some reason, he really wanted to keep his girlfriend completely separate from this group of people, other than Lily and James. He couldn't say exactly why. Wasn't like they'd disapprove or anything. But he felt very protective of her and her muggle status. He had yet to divulge the fact that he was a wizard to her, as well. One more thing on the agenda, which needed to be taken care of, and soon. He stuck his hands in his pockets and once again felt the small box there. _

"_Well, see that it doesn't happen again," Remus chided him jokingly with a nod in Marlene's direction. Sirius glanced her way involuntarily just as she was looking at him, and she immediately perked up. He sighed. Everything was encouragement to her. Irritated, he looked away and back toward Remus._

"_Thanks, Mooney. So, are we done here? I've really got to go," he said, anxious to return to Laura. He had planned on spending the night at her flat, and this blasted meeting had gotten in the way of their evening together long enough. _

_Remus looked curiously at him. "Oh, sure," he said. "Why in such a hurry, though?"_

"_Just tired ... been a long day," Sirius answered evasively. _

_Remus knew better than to pursue a topic when Sirius was being so vague, so he turned his attentions elsewhere. James and Lily walked out of the kitchen with Sirius, who put his coat back on. _

"_See you later," he pronounced, giving Lily a quick hug. _

_She smiled broadly again. "So when are you going to ask her? Tonight?"_

"_Oh no, I wanted to do something a bit different. She's been talking about wanting to see the Lake District. There's a place I thought we could stay up there. You think that'd be alright?" _

"_Merlin, that'll be cold this time of year! But very romantic." _

_James smiled mischievously at him. "Have a good one, Padfoot." _

"_Thanks, Prongs, I will," Sirius answered with a sly grin. And he grabbed his wand, flicking it lightly and disappeared._

_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_

"_Hi," he announced breathlessly as Laura opened the door. _

_She smiled at him. "You weren't gone very long. I'm glad you're back."_

"_Silly boring meeting. What a waste of time." He walked in, taking his coat off, and threw it over the back of a chair. Then he put his arms around her and kissed her passionately._

"_Mer- God, you smell good. You taste good." She was now up against the wall, with Sirius pressed up against her cupping her bottom with his hands. "Let's go to bed."_

_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_

"_There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Sirius said. It was the middle of the night, and they had both been asleep for a while. The sound of a car horn outside had woken them up, though, and they now laid side by side facing each other. Sirius stretched like a contented cat, then put his arm over her waist, looking at her._

"_Okay," she murmured, still half asleep. "Something wrong?"_

"_Oh, no," he assured her. "Just something about me that you really ought to know. This is a good time to bring it up, I think."_

_At this, she was suddenly more awake, and sat up on an elbow. "Something _is _wrong. What is it?"_

_He touched her face. "I promise, I'm fine. It's just that, well, we see each other all the time now. I mean, we practically live together. So, there's just something I've been wanting very much to tell you that's rather important." He sighed. She was going to think he was a nutter._

"_Alright. Spit it out," she said apprehensively._

_He had rehearsed how to tell her this news, but every way of explaining suddenly sounded ludicrous. He lost his nerve. "Actually, it's nothing," he muttered, feeling like a coward._

_She laughed. "You expect me to believe that _now_? Tell me what it is!"_

_He studied her for a moment, trying to gather his courage again._

"_What do you know about witches and wizards?" he finally said._

"_Well ...just from books, movies, stories, whatever," she looked at him, confused. "Where are you going with this?"_

"_I'm a wizard. You're a muggle." There._

"_I'm a ...what?" _

"_Muggle. It's what we call non-magical people. British slang, at least."_

"_And you are a wizard. Are you fully awake?" _

"_Yes, I am awake."_

"_Uh-huh. British slang? So there are Americans who are ... wizards, too?"_

"_There are people all over the world like me."_

"_Like who?"_

"_James and Lily, to name two."_

_She laid there in silence, wondering how to proceed from here. He knew she didn't believe him, and most likely thought she might be dreaming this whole episode. He turned on the bedside table lamp and looked at her as they both blinked at the sudden brightness. _

"_It just means I can do magic. I use my mind, and -" His voice cut off uncertainly at the look on her face. She was fearful._

"_Oh no, please don't be afraid of me, Laura. I'm not completely mad, I promise. I really wanted to tell you this. Can I show you something?"_

_She ignored this at first. "You mean, like you can make things move or do what you want with your mind?" He couldn't interpret the tone behind her words. She seemed almost excited._

"_Well, yes, but I use a wand, which makes it a whole lot more powerful." He got out of bed and left the room for a moment. When he returned, he was holding an intricately designed stick of wood. _

"_I've seen that before," she admitted. "Wondered what it was."_

_He couldn't explain why, but by now she seemed to be a bit more amenable to the idea of a magical person._

_He climbed back in bed with her, shivering. The room was cold. "Not afraid of me, are you? Do you think I'm insane?"_

"_No," she said, but continued to look thoughtful. "Show me something."_

_He thought for a moment, and said, "Right." Then he took his wand, and with a subtle whip, murmured, "Accio shirt," for lack of anything better to request. His dark purple shirt immediately glided over to the bed from the back of the chair it had been resting on. Laura watched, speechless in amazement. He checked her reaction for any trace of alarm. Finally, she looked at him. _

"_Do something else!"_

_He thought for a moment, then decided to try something a bit more impressive. He sent the shirt flying back to its original place._

"_Lento levicorpus," he whispered. He pointed the wand in her direction. She slowly began to float a few feet above the bed, to her amazement. She laughed with delight. _

"_Lento liberacorpus," he then said, and she gently fell back on the mattress, unable to take her eyes off him. _

"_Now what?" he asked, smiling at her. This was going better than he had hoped. _

_She sat up again. "Why didn't you tell me about this before now?" She didn't seem upset, at least. More curious than anything. And extremely impressed._

_He smiled, feeling bolder from her encouragement. "It's not really the sort of thing I can just walk up to any old muggle and talk about. It's the kind of conversation reserved for a woman I love and wouldn't mind spending my life with."_

_She blinked. "Well, then." After that comment, she looked at him, speechless. _

"_So ... want to see more? Since we're awake." he whispered provocatively. She nodded. He laid on top of her, enjoying the feeling of her soft breasts against his bare chest. His face was now very close to hers, their lips almost touching. He spread her arms apart, entwining his fingers in hers, and kissed her mouth so softly she could feel the brush of his mustache more than his lips. He nudged her legs open, sinking his own in between. Taking one hand away, he gripped the wand again, and continued kissing her so delicately she was squirming, trying to wrap her legs around his waist. He whispered something she couldn't understand, and soft cords shot out of his wand, tying her hands to the headboard. She gasped in surprise and pulled on them. They were secure, however, and she had a very limited range of motion. He dropped the wand now, using both hands to stroke her body. _

"_God- Sirius, please- " she moaned. _

"_Please _what_?" he asked her, now moving lower to kiss a breast. His tongue circled her nipple and he suckled it, taking it in his teeth very lightly. She gasped again with pleasure._

"_Let me loose," she whispered fiercely. He checked her reaction to make sure she wasn't upset. Considering how intent she was on grinding her hips against his, she must not be in much distress. _

_He brought his lips back so close to hers they almost touched. "No," he said, his voice thick with desire, "you wanted to see more. I needed my hands free. You may not have your hands back, naughty girl." Then he groaned as she managed to maneuver his swollen cock so that she could get it inside her, legs pressing hard against his back. _

"_I am- not going to allow you-" he said as he slid inside her against his will. She worked her hips furiously to push his cock in and out._

"_Not allow me to what?" she whispered suddenly. "I don't think you're in as good a position as you think to be ordering me around." _

_Before he had realized it, her hands were suddenly free and she put them behind his head, forcing him to kiss her. _

"_How did you-" he gasped now, amazed that she had gotten loose. She must have caught him off guard, for she managed to roll him over on his back, his cock still inside her as she sat on top of him. _

"_Maybe I can do magic, too," she whispered, leaning toward his ear. "You make me so incredibly wet." She continued to writhe on him, biting his lower lip softly, then taking her tongue and caressing his. "What did you say about me being naughty?"_

"_Well, I stand by it," he said roguishly as she once more forced him into her. "You are a very bad girl." He managed to pull her to him, and succeeded in rolling her back to her original position. He took the wand again. _

"_Going to tie me up again?" she challenged him. _

"_No," he answered defiantly. "Going to try something new." He flicked his wand and pulled her to a sitting position up against him. They both levitated over the bed, and she shrieked in surprise, wrapping her arms more tightly around him. "I've been wanting to try this with you," he whispered, still deep inside her. "That last levicorpus was a little prelude to this." Both still suspended over the bed, they rocked back and forth with abandon._

"_Oh Sirius, this is fucking amazing," she breathed, until he covered her mouth with his once more, not allowing her to say more. Their actions grew more frenzied until she finally came, loudly. She continued kissing him, allowing him to go as hard as he wanted until his climax was just as intense. He loosened his hold on her a tiny bit, and she gripped him harder, afraid of falling._

"_I won't let you fall," he whispered, kissing her. "Time to get down." He managed to send his wand gliding to him and a moment later they dropped softly back on the bed. Both laid there resting and motionless for a while, legs still tangled together._

_She finally propped herself up on an elbow, still breathless. "Well, I hate to ruin my reputation as a naughty girl, so I have to ask ... does your wand have a vibrate feature? It only just occurred to me." She grinned as he burst out laughing. _

"_It does almost anything I want it to," he answered, "within reason," he added, raising his eyebrows suggestively at her. "But you wouldn't be the first to think about using one for that purpose."_

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Oh, yeah, that _was _some exceptional sex," I said, remembering that extremely interesting position. "You have always been an amazing lover."

"Well, it always helps that you're up for anything," Sirius answered, smiling. "I don't think we've ever done anything you didn't like. You're pretty amazing, yourself."

"Just inspired by my lovely husband." I grinned back at him. "I didn't know about that Marlene chick, though."

"Well, she was killed by some of Voldemort's followers not long before I was taken away," he stated matter-of-factly.

I sobered a bit at this news, then yawned inadvertently again.

"You need to sleep now, darling. We can make love later, alright?" He touched my face again. I _was _rather tired.

"Are you sure? I hate not to take advantage of the peace and quiet."

He kissed me. "No, let's sleep for a while. I'm sure this evening will be exhausting. Maybe we'll try the _levicorpus_ thing again later," he said, smiling.


	32. Everyone is Kept Waiting, Part II

**Rated 'M' for sexual situations **

In the end, Sirius was glad that Dumbledore had convinced Fudge to have a formal acquittal at Hogwarts, rather than in London. He felt much more at home here. For the evening, he had once more been granted access to the Room of Requirement, where he was pleased to see a large shower and sink, an oversized sofa and clothes hung up on a rack nearby, as well as shoes. He wandered around the room for a few minutes, randomly fingering the jacket, trousers, crisp white shirt and waistcoat, which had previously been in Laura's house and had never been worn. Apparently Dumbledore, or rather the room, he decided gratefully, had thought of everything he might need. The only thing missing here was the presence of his wife. He was anxious to see her again, to finally touch and hold her once more as a free man. After her nap earlier in the day, he was forced to leave in order to meet James on time. The last thing he had wanted to do was disappoint his son so soon. So he had come back to Hogwarts just after she had awoke, and she promised to meet him later. An idea suddenly sprang up in his mind ... _I require my wife with me now._ Nothing happened. Oh well, it was a thought, anyway. Shrugging inwardly, he knew he had enough time to take a shower and get reasonably cleaned up. Wishing it were possible to ditch the ceremony and just be set free, his anxiety returned at the thought of so many people watching him. At least they wouldn't be looking with fear and hatred in their eyes now.

Sirius sighed deeply, and turned the water to the shower on. It heated up immediately, and he removed his clothing, which was now filthy after he had worn it the previous day. He stepped in. The hot water felt good on his skin. He took a bar of soap and washed off, gingerly approaching the areas where Lupin had injured him. Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey had done an exceptional job of healing him in the wee hours of the morning, but the places that had been gashed were still sore. He thought of Lupin, and felt a bit sad that he was still out of commission and wouldn't be here. Sirius didn't harbor any ill feelings toward him, however; he had long been used to the danger Remus' monthly transformations posed. He was just thankful that no one had been hurt by the werewolf.

He put his face directly under the water and closed his eyes, feeling the spray sting his skin. Finally he opened them again. Laura was standing outside the shower, looking at him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you going to share? Or do I have to wait on you to finish before I can get in?" she asked with a little smile. "I felt compelled to be here, for some reason." She shrugged innocently.

He grinned at her and felt the rest of his anxiety slip away. "Join me," he said. She had changed clothes by now, and was wearing a casual tee shirt and long skirt with sandals. Sliding them off, one piece at a time, she was soon completely naked. He looked hungrily over the entire length of her body, noting the differences that had taken place in the last few months. Her breasts were fuller, and the areola was darker, as he remembered._ So the baby will know where to go for food, _she had said once, teasing him. The gentle swell of her belly had become more pronounced, and he found himself very much aroused watching her.

"Dear Merlin, you look like one of those fertility goddesses," he said huskily, not taking his eyes off her.

She snorted. "You mean the fat ones, all tits and belly? I guess so," she said, and smiled again.

"Well, _I _think you look lovely. Come here."

She noticed the differences in his own body with satisfaction, and stepped into the streaming water of the shower. She didn't waste any time, but immediately began to kiss him ardently. He gently pushed her against the glass wall, returning her kisses with fierce abandon. It had been too long since they were allowed this, and their earlier conversation about sex had made them both want it now even more. He helped her lift her legs, wrapping them around his hips, then held her close to him, protecting her from slipping against the glass. They both made involuntary groans of pleasure as he slid into her.

"Oh my God, it's been too long," she managed to whisper before he covered her mouth with his own once more. He thrusted deeply while holding her close to him, but then he remembered the baby.

"You're not going to hurt it," she panted, noticing his sudden hesitancy.

"And how do you know that?" he whispered in her ear, continuing what he was doing.

"I do read books," she replied. "Oh, _don't stop_," she added breathlessly as he kissed her neck.

"I won't," he promised, sliding his tongue into her mouth and thrusting deeper inside her at the same time as if to prove it. "You are so beautiful," he whispered fiercely. They continued to make love urgently, making up for lost time.

"Likewise. You are beautiful, yourself," she said, watching rivulets of water trail down his face, and proceeded to trace them with her tongue. Then, she kissed him more gently all over his face, looking into his eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Sirius. Do you have any idea how much I love you?" She touched his face with both hands and ground her hips more tightly against him. He gave another ecstatic groan at this, and finally came inside her, shuddering rapturously. They stayed leaning against the glass, motionless, for a few minutes, kissing each other softly, then he gently put her down.

"To answer your question," Sirius said breathlessly, holding Laura close, "I'm well aware of how much you love me. After what you did for me last night, and before. I love you, too. More than anything. More than I did before, though I didn't think that was possible," he said, thinking of their time before Azkaban. He put his hand on the back of her head and caressed her hair, bringing her closer to him protectively. Before she could answer, he added, "Let me wash you."

He took some shampoo and lathered it in her hair, turning her around so she was in front of him facing the other way. She looked out of the shower and noticed that next to his clothes were the robes and gown she had planned on wearing. They had appeared out of nowhere, it seemed. She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle massage of his fingers as he washed her hair. After he let her rinse it off, he took a bath sponge and gently rubbed soapy water all over her body until she was clean. Then, dropping the sponge, he began to touch her belly, drawing his hands around from the side of her waist until they met at her stomach. "Our little girl is in here." He stated the obvious softly, enjoying the sound of his words. "I get to see this one grow." He felt a renewed tinge of regret at his absence during James' childhood, but was satisfied at the thought that they could begin a relationship now.

Laura allowed him to take his time exploring her body, and soon his hands moved from her stomach up to her breasts. Still leaning against him with her back to him, she made small noises of pleasure as he cupped each one, gently stroking the nipples darkened with pregnancy. She gasped again when he turned her around and bent down, taking one in his mouth. After running his tongue over it thoroughly he turned to the other one and did the same.

"Mmmm.. you're already hard again," Laura said softly, luxuriating in the feel of his wet tongue on the tip of her nipple, and then the warmth of his entire mouth as he kissed and licked it more fervently.

"That's right," he said, grinning. "Time to get out of here and somewhere more comfortable." Sirius gestured toward a divan that had appeared while they were in the shower.

"Did you do this?" she asked in wonder. "It wasn't here a minute ago!"

"We, um, _required _it, just now, and with this being the room of _requirement_, it does what we want." He grinned wickedly at her, putting a huge towel around her body and softly drying her off. She did the same for him, rubbing his hair lightly to remove excess water, then moving lower until she was on her knees, lingering at his engorged member. Then a movement from the wall, of all places, caught her attention, and she hissed, "Oh _shit_! We're going to be late! This thing is supposed to start in fifteen minutes!"

Sirius followed her gaze to the wall where a clock suddenly hung there. He looked back at her, unconcerned. "And your point is ...?" he whispered roguishly. "Let 'em wait." He took her hand and let her touch him again. "Why don't you lay down here?" he said, gesturing to the divan. "I would very much like to shag my wife a second time, and Cornelius Fudge can just hang on a bit longer. Serve him right."

She sighed but had a glint of humor in her eyes. "Alright, but _you_ lay down. Your turn, darling."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Laura_

We hurried out the door of the Room of Requirement, bound for the Great Hall. After our second time making love, in which it turned out we _had _made everyone wait a while, we dressed quickly. I whipped my wand over my face to apply make-up, then Sirius surprisingly used a few charms to do my hair. I had been prepared to do it myself, but he insisted he knew what he was doing. When he was done, I joked that he had missed his calling as a hairdresser. He had somehow arranged some stray tendrils framing my face and my hair up in a loose chignon, and the effect was very nice. With the ivory gown and deep purple robes, the same thing I had worn for him at Christmas, it was a rather romantic look for me. As we hurried down the corridor, I fastened the pearl choker around my neck. For his part, he had a shirt of the snowiest white, but with a purple waistcoat which matched my robes. Dark trousers and a long fitted coat, though of light fabric since it was June, completed his attire. Though he was still very thin, he looked devastatingly handsome to me, and I decided we made quite the couple.

Before long, we had made it to the back corner of the Great Hall. Dumbledore was waiting patiently, and with an amused glint, remarked, "You certainly know how to make an entrance. Come in."

We followed the headmaster into the large room and over to the teachers' table. James sat there, next to an instructor, empty chairs on his other side. He looked extremely nervous at all the attention from his classmates but smiled at Sirius. As Dumbledore motioned for us to sit in those seats, Sirius muttered, "All this pomp for a lousy acquittal," under his breath, but I thought he was pleased, underneath. Then, for the first time, I looked out to see that the room was completely full to bursting, with students and adults. We sat, and I took Sirius' hand under the table. It was trembling slightly, and I wondered if such a large gathering was really a good idea. He seemed to be doing okay so far, though. James was on my other side, and I patted his leg reassuringly.

Dumbledore rose before the podium and thanked everyone who was present for attending. As he spoke, I looked out over the crowd. I could see Harry and his two best friends, positively beaming. They were sitting up front. Snape was nowhere to be found, predictably. I searched for Aberforth, hoping he had made it, but I didn't see his distinctive form anywhere either. I noticed a lady sitting close to Harry who had straw colored hair curled in tiny ringlets, holding a large quill which seemed to move of its own volition. She chomped gum, examining me and Sirius closely. It hadn't escaped anyone's notice that I was several months pregnant, if they didn't already know. More than a few whispers had erupted when I had entered, since my robes were buttoned over my gown in an empire waist style, leaving my burgeoning belly in full view.

Dumbledore finished his little speech, and Fudge stood up to speak. With a rather constipated look on his face, he evidently wished he were anywhere but here. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at his expression, but Sirius stroked my fingers with his own and had a slightly amused countenance himself.

"Ahem ... Well, we are here today to formally exonerate Sirius Black, convicted of murdering thirteen people on the first of November, 1981, based on previous lack of evidence otherwise, and the overwhelming circumstantial evidence that was present at the time. Fortunately, the true villain and murderer has been apprehended (here, he puffed out his chest a bit as though the Ministry had been personally responsible for carrying out justice) , which is, ah, Peter Pettigrew, whom we previously had believed deceased. The Order of Merlin has been removed from his mother's care and he has been installed in a cell in Azkaban suitable for animagi (the animagi story had made the rounds already, I'd heard). He is prohibited magically from transforming into a rat -" At this point I whispered to Sirius, "I didn't know they could do that." He whispered back, "They can't. He's full of shit. He'll probably escape before the day's over."

Fudge droned on. "- and we wish to make a formal apology to Sirius Black, who has endured many hardships over the past twelve years, escaping at great personal risk when he discovered where Peter Pettigrew was staying, as a rat, with a young wizard here at Hogwarts." Now the wizard in question's face was as red as his hair. I grinned at him in spite of the solemnity of the occasion, and Sirius leaned over, whispering, "Bloody hell, I wish he'd just shut it." I squeezed his hand in sympathy.

Finally, Fudge seemed to be reaching the end of his speech. "- only goal to protect Harry Potter (now Harry's face matched Ron's) and be reunited with his wife and son. Mr. Black, would you please step up to the podium?"

Sirius paused, looking extremely nervous. But he stood gamely and motioned for me and James to follow him. Sqeezing my hand firmly, he walked over to where the other man was standing, then put his arm around me. Fudge gave him a tight smile and shook his hand. "Sirius Black, we wish to extend our deepest ... apologies (he glowered a bit at me) and I personally would like to present you with formal papers proving your innocence. In addition, all media outlets in Britain have reported the updated account of this, ah, situation." Sirius looked at me thoughtfully. I smiled back at him and raised an eyebrow.

"And, well, I suppose that wraps it up." Fudge gathered the relevant papers and handed them to Sirius, then stepped away from the lectern. He suddenly remembered it would be good PR to shake Sirius' hand once more, and did so reluctantly. I heard a 'poof' and saw a bright flash of light as a photographer from the Daily Prophet took a picture of this.

"Well, actually, I'd, uh, like to say just a few things." Sirius looked over at Fudge as he spoke. Fudge appeared as though this was exactly what he had been afraid of, but nodded his head quickly. Sirius stood uncertainly for a moment, but put his wand to his neck to amplify the words.

"Nothing about Azkaban. I will ... never speak about that to anyone (the blonde lady looked severely disappointed). I only want to thank my godson, Harry Potter, and his two friends, who helped me immeasurably last night. Without their help, I would not be here today, but would by now be a victim of the dementor's kiss. I am so grateful to them." He looked around anxiously, but rallied on. "Then Remus Lupin, who could not be here today. He believed me as well, and was also a great help and wonderful friend. Professor Dumbledore, for his wisdom, patience and sense of fairness. But finally, I must thank my wife, Laura and my son, James. Without them, none of this would even matter. Not only did Laura apprehend Peter Pettigrew, with the help of our young friends (he smiled at Harry and company), but since we have been together, she has never once ceased to love, support and think of me. She had no idea where I was for twelve years, but she wrote me hundreds of letters, all telling me how much she loved me and missed me. She told me all about our son James in these letters, whom I didn't know existed until after I escaped, and included pictures of him so I would see how he had grown. I managed to receive them all upon leaving Azkaban. I also managed to find her, after she had moved to Hogsmeade to be closer to our son. She has endured a life every bit as difficult as mine (I took leave to doubt this), but never gave up on me, no matter the circumstances. Anyway, that's all I really wanted to say. Thank you all for being here." He turned to me and put his arms around me, holding me close. "Thank you, darling. I love you," he whispered, and I realized there were a few tears in his eyes. Then he broke away as people applauded for him, and was clearly embarrassed by so much attention. James stood there, looking down, and Sirius put an arm on his shoulder, patting it and smiling at him. His son glanced up at him and gave him a shy smile. We walked away as the crowd began to stand, milling around.

The blonde lady, who had now put on a pair of garish spectacles, hurried over to us excitedly. "Oooh, let me see. Let's get a picture of you all ... congratulations, by the way...my, you've been busy," she said with a sly grin, pointing at my stomach with her quill, " ... and Harry, you and your little friends get in it, too." Harry and his "little friends" obviously wanted to fade into the wall, but she corralled them next to Sirius, James and myself, and gestured impatiently to the photographer to take our picture. Another 'poof' and bright light that left us all blinking, and she spoke again quickly, still chewing her gum. "And I am _dying _to get an exclusive with _you,_" she said, leering in Sirius' direction. He was prepared for her, though.

"Perhaps soon. But not today, alright?" And with that he turned, dismissing her. He put his arm around me again, and the group of us walked quickly toward the nearest exit. "Promise?" she called after us. Sirius nodded with a tight smile, and we left the Great Hall. The subjects of every portrait we passed all goggled at us, one waving cheerily, "Hullo, Sirius! I remember you when you were a boy!" He ignored them, and we moved on.

"What next?" I asked my husband over the din in the hallway. I was in the mood for a party, and decided, school or no, as soon as Lupin had improved, we would invite our friends over, as long as Sirius felt up to it, I mentally added.

"What's next, is I am taking my wife and we are going far, far away from this place until James and Harry are out of school for the summer. What do you think?" He smiled at me.

"I think that sounds wonderful," I said, yawning suddenly. James was still walking with us, sending furtive glances in Sirius' direction. "James," I said, "study hard. We'll see you just as soon as school is out, then I guess we'll figure out what we're going to do from there. Okay, darling?"

We stopped just inside the huge doors at the main entrance. Harry and his friends had come up behind us, and Sirius turned to speak to him for a moment. James gave Harry a curious look, but said nothing. Then Sirius hugged Harry hard, and said, "We'll talk again soon." Harry nodded, smiling happily, and turned with Ron and Hermione, walking off toward Gryffindor Tower. They waved in farewell to me. I hugged James and kissed his cheek, then he looked at Sirius. They both paused, and then Sirius put his arms around his son and whispered something to him. James looked very pleased himself when they pulled away. "Bye Mum, Dad," he said and walked away toward his dormitory.

A smaller crowd of people continued to follow us as we prepared to walk out the door. Sirius glanced toward them, then took my hand as the heavy doors opened. We walked once more to the main gates.

"Ready?" He smiled at me, and gave me a small kiss.

"Yes," I answered.

Once more he put his arms around me, and we were gone.


	33. In the Shadow of a Fell

"So. Where do we go from here? Stay in England?" I asked early the next morning.

"After this little holiday? I have a plan," Sirius said confidently. "I thought we'd take James and leave the country. You mentioned Italy in one of your letters. What d'you think about going back there? Or maybe Switzerland? Anywhere that's, well, _quiet_, where nobody knows me ... would be good." He grew more excited while talking about the prospect. "And maybe Harry could come! Would you mind? Do you think James would like that?"

We were in the process of filling suitcases with clothes. "The only thing is, I think it would be nice to spend at least _some_ time just with James. So you can get to know each other. Not that I wouldn't want Harry there, of course; maybe he could join us eventually. I know he needs some time alone with you, too. But as to the location- wherever you like sounds wonderful to me, honey. What kind of stuff should I pack now, though?" I asked, and sighed. I really needed to buy more maternity things.

"For now, just the same kind of things you'd wear around here."

"You're not going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nah. You'll find out soon enough." He winked mischievously at me. "We've been there before."

"A-ha. Narrows it down somewhat."

Finally we stuffed the last of our belongings into the suitcases.

Sirius smiled at me yet again. "Ready, darling?"

I nodded apprehensively. After all this time, apparition still made me nervous. My state of pregnancy didn't help with the unease, either, despite Sirius' extensive research into the subject, finding that it was still safe, at least for the next month or so.

He waved his wand, sending the luggage on first, then put both arms tightly around me. With the usual _ pop, _we disappeared into nothingness, materializing on the other side with me gasping for breath as always, on the edge of a panic attack.

"You alright?" he murmured, still holding me tightly. I nodded, a bit dizzy, then looked around.

"Oh! I know where we are! Never seen it in summer before, though," I added thoughtfully. We were in the shadows of the Wasdale Head Inn, where Sirius had originally proposed to me, and close to where we had been married all those years ago.

He smiled indulgently at me. "I thought this would be a suitable place to come. Now, if they only have _rooms _available. I haven't had a chance to make a reservation, regrettably." I laughed as he let go, picking up our few pieces of luggage. Then we walked out of the shadows and over to the front entrance of the hotel. Once inside, Sirius walked to the desk, looking around for a clerk. Soon a young woman appeared, greeting us cheerfully.

"Good morning! How can I help you?" she asked smiling, and then suddenly looked speculatively at Sirius. I hoped the updated news regarding his exoneration had reached this corner of England. But she said nothing, merely acting as if he looked vaguely familiar. Sirius asked if there were any rooms. "Specifically room number ...what was the one we were in?" he asked, looking at me.

"210," I said. The clerk now looked curiously at me, then, as if reminded of something.

"Ah! Well, I believe it's available ... we're a bit slow at the moment. Let me just see ... yes, it is." She grabbed a key from a small cubicle on the wall behind her. "How would you like to pay?"

I pulled out my purse after Sirius fumbled with his pockets and came up with nothing. "Here," I said, handing her a muggle credit card. She made an imprint, passing the card back to me. Sirius looked slightly discomfited, but took the key, thanking her.

"Have I seen you before?" she called as we turned to go. I looked back apprehensively. She was looking at me, though, not Sirius.

"Might have done. I've been here a few times." I smiled at her and turned once more.

We traipsed up the few flights of stairs with our bags until we were on the second floor. Once we reached the room, Sirius opened it for me and we stepped inside. He apologized for not remembering to take care of bringing muggle money. "I knew I'd forgotten something," he admitted when we walked in.

"Doesn't matter. You've been busy," I said cheekily, surveying the room once more. It hadn't changed much since the last time I'd seen it.

"Have you been here by yourself? You said you'd been a few times," Sirius commented curiously as I sat on the bed. I felt a small flutter in my belly – the baby's soft movement – and unconsciously put a hand on it.

"Yeah. I used to come here for several years on our anniversary. Even braved Hardknott Pass."

He sat next to me and kissed my hair. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Oh, I didn't think it was worth mentioning. I always missed you even worse that time of year, and I guess I felt closer to you coming to a place we'd shared." I shrugged, now embarrassed.

He put an arm around me. I looked through the open curtains out the window. Everything was green and lush outside. As opposed to every other time I'd been here, once right before Christmas in a snowstorm, and for several years after that in March, when things were still dead and brown. I thought it made a nice analogy ... our marriage, and Sirius, back to life, as it were.

"So ... what did you do when you came here?" he asked.

"Well, usually I brought James. I had this silly notion that it gave him a link to you. We did a fair amount of walking around in the shadow of the fells. Not much else to do here. I would go to the church, as well." Now I was really in iffy territory. I had never told Sirius about that particular ritual either, and suddenly it seemed foolish.

"The church?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "To look around?"

I nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Got to be friends with the vicar there. He probably wondered why I didn't come this year," I added, only just remembering.

"Well, we'll have to go there together. Maybe this afternoon or tomorrow." Then he changed the subject. "There's one thing I remember about this room from last time. No television." He gave me a sidelong glance, smiling slyly. "We'll have to provide our own entertainment."

"Oh, well there's a game room downstairs," I said innocently, then snickered at his expression. "We can always play ping pong if you get bored."

"I will _not _be getting bored, Mrs. Black."

In answer, my stomach rumbled loudly.

"Merlin's _beard_! Hungry, darling?" he asked, grinning at the noise.

"Getting there. The baby's demanding food," I admitted. "Want an early lunch?"

"Sure," he said. "Let's go."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

That afternoon, we wandered around the countryside, passing at one point over a picturesque packhorse bridge, where I took several pictures with my muggle camera, and wound our way along the trails over toward the church. Sirius was already looking healthier once more, though he was still very thin, and he was in great spirits. We spent a fair amount of time reminiscing as we walked. He was happy now to talk about his years at Hogwarts with James and the others.

"- but once Lily had turned James down for probably the fiftieth time, he finally got her to go out with him."

"How much hair ruffling on his part did _that_ take?" I said, laughing.

"Aw, that. It really annoyed her to no end. Took him forever to realize it, though. I believe she only accepted after Mooney and I managed to convince him to stop doing it." He laughed.

"And you? How many girls did you date at Hogwarts?" I asked it lightly, but I was curious. I couldn't remember us really talking about it, other than the brief mention of Marlene what's-her-face from the previous day.

"Oh, a fair amount," he said vaguely. "Usually once or twice, then..." he shrugged, not completing the sentence. "When I was in school, girls were way too giggly, seemed like. It always bothered me. And they tended to travel in crowds, so it was tough to get one on her own to even ask. I guess I dated more frequently after Hogwarts."

I supposed this was an accurate assessment of teenage girls. "And?"

"And?" he repeated. "Nothing really. I did go out quite a bit, just nobody really special. I was a bit jealous of James, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He'd adored Lily for years. Always knew what he wanted. And finally got it. I never seemed to find anything close to what he had."

Sirius sat down on the grass and I eased myself down next to him.

"Sleep with any? Of course, it's none of my business," I added quickly, blushing a little. We certainly had never covered this subject that I could recall. I had never been brave enough before.

"Oh. Well, here and there. Not _that _many. Nobody I really cared that much about. Why?"

"I dunno. Just being nosy, I guess. Sorry to ask." An unwelcome thought of Sirius entwined with another woman infiltrated my brain, and I shook it off.

He looked at me. "It's alright. What about you?"

"I had a couple of boyfriends before we met. Nothing long term, though. So, a few."

We were silent for a moment.

"So, the first time you were with me, what did you think?" he asked curiously.

I was surprised at the question. "Oh, I thought it was wonderful ... very satisfying. If I wasn't already in love with you, I definitely wasn't too far off." I smiled at him. "But since you asked, you were very passionate, but tender, wanting to please me. Wonderful," I repeated.

"I was in love with you by then. You know, when I saw you again after all those years, I was scared. So afraid that you had changed or that you wouldn't want me when you saw me. And I thought of all those letters you had written and I was terrified that you would think I wasn't really the same man anymore."

I leaned over and kissed him. "You worried for nothing. I thought at first you didn't care enough to look for me. Imagine realizing that you'd been the dog for all that time! After I got over _that _shock, I guess I was secretly afraid that you just wanted a place to stay, or food; you wouldn't want me."

"Oh, no. I'll confess that until I got those letters from you, I thought you didn't care either. They made all the difference, though. I had to find you then."

Then he changed the subject. "So ...I've been meaning to ask. Is it true that you kicked Pettigrew in the stomach?" he suddenly asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Oh. Yeah, I had a little moment of rage there," I admitted. "He deserved it, though." I smiled triumphantly at him. "Dumbledore told you, I gather?"

He nodded, grinning wickedly. "Well, the church is close by, I think. Want to see if we can go in?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," I answered. We stood up and dusted ourselves off, wandering a while longer until we approached the small nondescript building. It appeared to be open to tourists, so I walked in ahead of Sirius. Nobody was about in the tiny sanctuary, and we had the place to ourselves. I went straight up to the front, where we had said our vows together years before. I looked up to survey the ancient beams in the ceiling, said to be from an old viking ship. He followed me, standing behind me and putting a hand on my belly. We said nothing, but just stood there enjoying the quiet as he stroked my stomach lightly. His cheek rested against my hair, and I could feel his soft breath against it. Something about this place made time seem to stand still. We had probably been standing there like that for several minutes, but it seemed like no time at all. Then I heard the sound of a throat clearing. Turning around, I saw the vicar, Reverend Falkner, approaching from his office in the back. He glanced curiously at us standing in such a position, then suddenly recognized me.

"Laura! It's been so long!" he cried. He came up to me, grabbing my hands and clasping them. "How are you, dear? You are looking very well!"

Then he noticed with a shock the man standing next to me. "And this -" He stopped suddenly.

"- is my husband, Sirius." I couldn't help but smile broadly at him with this revelation. The vicar and I had quite a history, and I had confided many things to him over the years during my annual visits. Not only had I told him about my past, he knew all about Sirius as well. Even the wizard part.

He looked at my husband for a long moment, clearly amazed. "Well, it is _so_ nice to see you again, Sirius," he finally managed to say. He looked back at me, positively brimming with curiosity about this new development.

"Oh, go ahead, ask. You know you want to," I said, teasing him.

The elderly man laughed. "Well, that's true enough. I wondered what happened to you this year. I was a bit worried, to tell the truth. Obviously," he said, noticing my belly now, "things are going very well, though."

"It's a girl," I confirmed. "Due in October."

"And James ... how is he handling this news? How is he?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, I think he's not yet over the shock. Hopefully he's okay, though," I answered. "He's wrapping up his first year at a place called Hogwarts."

The vicar laughed. "Well, that's a curious name for a school!"

"Sirius went there. It's a school for, you know, magical people," I added softly. When I said that, he seemed to understand.

"Ah ... James _is _like that, then? I remember you telling me about his ... abilities."

Poor Sirius was looking back and forth between the two of us, feeling a bit left out. I grabbed his hand. "I don't know where to start," I said, then looked at my husband. "Do you mind if I tell him what happened to you?"

Sirius looked rather alarmed at this. "Well, I really don't think -"

"He knows everything," I admitted. "_Everything._"

The vicar nodded. "It's alright, Sirius. I've known for a long time. Well, not what happened when you disappeared, of course. I do know you are a wizard, though."

"You actually _believe_ it, then?" Sirius looked rather skeptical.

"Rather amazing, isn't it? And probably not very typical of the clergy," the reverend answered, smiling wryly. "I believe it because of Laura here. The subject of magic, and I suppose its relationship to religion, has been a major topic of conversation between us, yes?" He looked back at me. "I've been on the receiving end of a few little demonstrations, too. Laura has a real talent for commanding things to come to her." He grinned at the memory.

"Well, and that's another thing," I said to him. "I _am_ like him after all. I didn't know it before." I gestured with my head toward Sirius. "Can you believe that?" I grinned at him proudly. It felt such a relief to be talking about this now. Our previous conversations about the subject had always been very sad and depressing, with Sirius missing from my life and my never ending heartbreak over it. My little "demonstrations" for the vicar, which weren't much and ironically were used by me to describe what my husband could do, cemented the idea with him that magical persons could exist. Of course, I had always been so insecure that even when he had once cleverly suggested the same might be true for me, I couldn't ever bring myself to believe it, until James was approached by a certain headmaster. Turned out the vicar had been right after all. And more unusually, he hadn't been judgemental either.

"So ... what happened? Here, let's go back in my office, in case someone else walks in."

We followed him into the room and sat down across from him. "Well, Sirius," he began, "you may not believe this, but I remember you from years ago."

"Ah, well, and I distinctly recall sitting in this exact spot across from you explaining why you should marry Laura and me," Sirius answered, now slightly more at ease. He smiled at the memory.

"That's exactly what I meant," the vicar answered. "I thought you were a very engaging young man. I've thought about that often since Laura began coming back here. You were very concerned about being married in a place that would have special meaning for her. I thought that said a lot about you."

Sirius reddened slightly, but I smiled at him.

"So! I would love to hear the missing part of the story between you." The vicar raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Well," I started, "he, I uh - " I broke off, not knowing where to start, with such a huge amount of information to discuss.

Sirius took over. "I don't know if you'll remember James and Lily Potter? They were here at the wedding. Anyway, they were my best friends. They were murdered. The one responsible for it was a former friend of mine." Sirius cleared his throat and continued. "When I found out what happened, I went after him, but he caused an explosion, and -"

The minister broke in. "Sorry to interrupt. Is he a wizard, too?"

Sirius nodded. "Most of the people I know are. Anyway, several muggles were killed in the blast, and it looked like I had done it. Even the true murderer, Pettigrew, was thought to have been killed. Nobody knew differently. Nobody believed me. They shipped me off to a prison for wizards, Azkaban, and I was there several years. Laura had no idea what had happened to me, as you'll know, and I couldn't communicate with her, for various reasons. But years later, I had word that Peter was, um, still around, and I was afraid he would try to hurt James' son, Harry. He's our godson. I was able to escape then, luckily."

The vicar looked rather shaken, but thoughtful. "You've mentioned muggles, Laura. Non-magical people, right?"

"Yes, a muggle is someone who is incapable of magic," Sirius answered. "Anyway, I found Laura shortly thereafter, last summer. She helped me find the person responsible, which happened very recently. A few days ago, in fact. Well, that's the short version, anyway."

"Amazing. You're looking very well, now, for someone who's been through so much. Been taken care of, I expect." His eyes twinkled at me. "And how exactly did you know _you_ were a ... wizard?" He now looked in my direction.

"Witch," I corrected. "James got a letter inviting him to go to the wizarding school, Hogwarts, like I mentioned. Due to the circumstances with Sirius ... being that he was very, um, infamous in that world ... the headmaster came to speak with me. With our last name, Black, and James' middle name being Sirius, it didn't take much for him to figure out that we were both related to Sirius Black. After talking with him, I realized that James was just like his dad when Sirius began to learn magic. And I wasn't, well, _you know_ ... after all." I trailed off. The vicar knew how abnormal I had always thought myself. "He kindly offered to tutor me, and he set me up with some other teachers. Meanwhile, Sirius and I had found each other again, and he stayed with me. Covertly. And now all that is over with, when Pettigrew was caught. Sirius brought me here this morning to, you know, celebrate, and get away from everything."

Reverend Falkner looked very pleased. "Well, my dear, I am so happy for you. I have prayed for both of you frequently, and it looks as though God certainly had a hand in all this." I looked at Sirius. I was slightly embarrassed, thinking he might not see it the same way. But he smiled at the minister, and said softly, "Yeah, looks like it."

"So what is next for the two of you?" he asked, completely enthralled by our story.

Sirius answered. "Well, we're here in the area for the next few days, then once James, and Harry... our godson, are out of school, we are hoping to take them somewhere else for at least part of the summer. After that, well, I don't know yet. Perhaps move back to London?"

"Well," the reverend said, leaning forward. "I have an idea. But if you're not interested, no harm done. Call me an old busybody, but I would love to see you both renew your vows. That would be very fitting, wouldn't it?" He looked back and forth between us, his eyes sparkling.

Sirius and I looked sideways at each other. We hadn't thought of doing this. Personally, though, I liked the idea. It reminded me of seeing all that greenery outside our window. A new start.

"Well, we'll talk about it," I finally said. I had no clue if Sirius would want that, and we needed a chance to discuss it in private. "Is it something we could just ... come in and do or would it take more planning?"

"Oh, it could be as informal as you like. Just the three of us. Well, four, if you count - " He pointed skyward with his finger and grinned. "And I do, of course." Then he stood. "Let me know if you decide you're interested, alright?" He surveyed us carefully as we rose from our chairs.

"Thank you for the offer," Sirius said softly. "We'll be in touch soon."

We walked back out to the deserted sanctuary and walked toward the front door. "Good to see you again, Reverend," I said, and hugged him this time. He patted my back.

"Pleasure's mine, my dear. Wonderful to see you both."

With that, I opened the door and we went back out into the bright sunshine.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later that evening, I sat in a booth in the pub, watching with envy as Sirius sipped a pint. The barkeep had managed to scrape up a bottle of non-alcoholic beer for me, which beat water, at least.

"So, what do you think?" he asked hesitantly. "Want to do it again?"

"Actually, I think that it's a very nice idea. Just keeping it simple, anyway. Very appropriate. But if you don't think you'd like to, that's perfectly fine."

"No. I think it sounds like a good idea. I'm with you, though. Something very simple is all I'd want. Like the last time." He ran a finger absently around the rim of his glass.

"Well, then, what about waiting until James can be with us? Or even waiting until Livia's born?" I brainstormed. I had already begun to think of her with that name.

He smiled at the thought of our daughter. "That would be nice, but I believe I'd rather it just be the two of us. Would that be alright?"

I shrugged slightly. "Yeah, I think so." I looked back at him, suddenly feeling perfectly content.

"So," he said, now changing the subject, "how in the name of Merlin's baggy y-fronts did you convince a man of God that witchcraft was perfectly acceptable?"

"Well, it's not as humorous as all that," I answered drily. "The first time I came back here was when I was pregnant with James. The weather was particularly nasty, and I remember being soaking wet and cold. Very windy and rainy outside. I was so depressed. And being pregnant, my hormones were in full swing. I sat down and just started to sob, thinking about everything. It hadn't really been that long since you and I had been there, and the memories were flooding back. The vicar came over to me and asked if there was anything he could do. I started spilling everything ... everything about you, whatever was wrong with me that I had always tried to avoid dealing with. I didn't care how crazy it sounded. I figured if he thought I was a complete nutter, at least I never had to come back and see him ever again. But he was so nice. A good listener. The first truly religious person I've known who didn't act like there was something horribly wrong with me. Even though, looking back, he probably didn't believe me at all then, he just said that was the way God created us and there wasn't a thing wrong with it. I hadn't told anyone up 'til that point, unless you count right after you disappeared, and you know how _that _turned out." I sighed. "Of course, I didn't believe him about _me_, anyway. But he planted a tiny seed of doubt, at least."

He took my hand. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I answered. "Then the next year I came back. I guess I began to think of it a bit like ... just something I needed to do to ease my mind. To pay tribute to you on that day. It turned into a yearly thing. James would come with me and run around the church while I sat by myself, or talked to the vicar. We would have long, rambling conversations about what you were like, all things magical, that kind of stuff."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

That night, we laid in bed. Sirius had gathered me in his arms, and we were silent for a long time. I could hear his deep, even breathing and thought he must have fallen asleep. But then he spoke.

"This feels so good. I'm a free man, and I'm going to marry you all over again. Things are right with the world, for once."

I agreed.


	34. I, Lisa and My Wanton Sex God Husband

The Daily Prophet

SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT!

10 June, 1994

_Sirius Black, formerly convicted of killing twelve muggles and wizard Peter Pettigrew, has been found innocent of all charges, the _Daily Prophet _discovered early this morning, in a startling turn of events heralded as the biggest news event of the year. Black, who had mysteriously escaped from Azkaban last July and was strongly suspected to be hunting down Harry Potter, was acquitted of all charges by Cornelius Fudge himself last evening, when Peter Pettigrew was found to be not only still alive, but living as a rat, a pet of Potter's friend Ronald Weasley. A stout, watery-eyed wizard, Pettigrew confessed under the influence of veritaserum to being an unregistered animagus and admitted to extensive involvement with the dark wizard, you-know-who, twelve years ago. Sirius Black had previously been widely believed to be aligned with the powerful dark lord, betraying his best friend James Potter and wife Lily in order for you-know-who (YKW) to have access to their son Harry. But in the events of last evening, Pettigrew acknowledged that he had framed Black in order to divert suspicion away from himself. In macabre fashion, he sliced off one of his own fingers and left it at the scene prior to hurling a curse that left twelve muggles dead at the scene and Black screaming his innocence as ministry officials arrived, placing him in custody shortly thereafter. Pettigrew, in the meantime, transformed into a rat and disappeared down a nearby storm sewer. Black was left to take the blame._

_But there is yet another interesting twist to the story, _the Prophet _has learned_. On 22_ March 1980, Black was married to Laura Y. Ketron, an American-born woman, living in London as a muggle, in an intimate ceremony attended only by his best friends James and Lily Potter. He kept his relationship with her largely under wraps due to the danger of his position in a group of wizards poised to fight YKW._

_Mrs. Black discovered she was pregnant only after Sirius was taken away on 1 November 1981 following the altercation in the London street. Due to her muggle status, and separation from the members of the Order and the wizarding world, she knew nothing about her husband's whereabouts for years, despite desperate attempts to locate him. Their son James, named for Mr. Potter, was born the following July and raised solely by his mother._

_Laura Black never severed marital ties with her husband nor remarried, but stayed at the family's home in London as James grew, always hoping to see her husband again. She got her wish in the summer of 1993, twelve years after Black's impressive escape from Azkaban. He made his way to the village of Hogsmeade and, after secretly reuniting with his wife, who had recently moved there to be close to their son at school, the pair made several attempts to locate and capture Pettigrew. In a spectacular chain of events, they did just that yesterday evening, along with Harry Potter and two of his friends, who were now convinced of Black's innocence._

Sirius stopped reading and set the paper aside. "Well, I must say this is much better than I expected." He looked rather impressed.

I agreed. "Not bad, for the _Prophet_," I commented, after taking a sip of coffee.

"Read the next one," he said lightly.

We had recently returned from our trip to the Lake District just before James was let out of school for the summer. I counted up all the _Prophets_ we had yet to read, all of which had an article regarding Sirius somewhere on the front page. Finally Sirius had given in to unceasing requests for a meeting, consenting to let Rita Skeeter interview him the previous day. It was in the most recent copy of the paper, and the next one in the stack. Clearing my throat dramatically, I began to read aloud.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT RITA SKEETER TAKES ON SIRIUS BLACK IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

19 June, 1994

_Mr. Sirius Black, an incredibly virile man who speaks in a throaty, yet dangerously soft, voice, is sitting across from me. He is visibly relaxed, his eyes like fathomless dark pools._

I stopped for a moment, grabbing another paper, and vigorously fanned myself. "Is it hot in here? I think it's getting rather hot," I said in a sultry voice.

"That's what I like to hear," he replied, grinning evilly. "Read on." I smiled and continued.

_As he speaks, his hands gesture animatedly and it is obvious he is chomping at the bit to talk about his time in Azkaban, despite his feeble protests to the contrary. I lean forward with rapt attention as he whispers, "No, I cannot. Azkaban was just ... too painful. I'll carry it with me for the rest of my life." His hugely pregnant wife (though only seven months gone), a muggle-born American named Lisa, _(now Sirius broke into a fit of laughter) _sits next to him, rolling her eyes in annoyance. I can only charitably surmise that she is having a difficult pregnancy, adversely affecting her disposition. Meanwhile, I press on, telling him sagely that the only way to move forward is to pour out his heart to me._

_It was last July when he braved the churning waters around the fortress of Azkaban prison, mysteriously making it to shore. He refuses to say exactly how, but heaves a great sigh, running his fingers through a luxurious mane of dark hair. He graces me with a coquettish look. "Let's just say I'm a good swimmer," he states, grinning mischievously. Fully aware of the dangerous nature of his actions, Sirius nonetheless doggedly pursued You-know-who's underling, the villain Peter Pettigrew, whom he alone knew to be guilty. After faithfully locating his now absent wife, Lisa, he lived secretly in the tiny wizarding village of Hogsmeade from August on, only revealing himself to her during that time. Their son, James, amazingly knew nothing about it all until the end of the school year. Despite two desperate and courageous attempts to capture Pettigrew, who was living as an unregistered animagus in his animal form with a student, it was almost a full year later when Sirius managed to single-handedly seize the true murderer, most likely saving little Harry Potter's life, at which point Cornelius Fudge graciously granted him a full pardon._

By now I had to stop reading aloud. I put the paper down and surveyed Sirius, who looked rather helplessly at me. "Well, first things first. She effing leaned forward in rapt attention because she was desperately trying to show you her cleavage, which is considerable, by the way," I huffed. "And 'coquettish'? When have you ever been coquettish? I ask you." I noisily ruffled the paper in disgust.

He grinned. "Oh, come on, Lisa, it's just a silly interview!" he said, laughing out loud once more. He took a sip of coffee.

"What is _that_ ... your mischievous grin? What a frigging hack! I'm not sure who looks worse here, me or you," I stated, finally smiling in spite of myself. "Leave it to her to make Azkaban sound like a really funny place. Probably the first time that's ever happened."

"Are you quite finished?" Sirius asked, still smirking. "What _I _think is most interesting is how incredibly _sexy_ I sound! Read that part again!" He pointed to the paper.

"You with your eyes like fathomless dark pools, gesturing animatedly at the _Daily Prophet_," I added helpfully.

"Well, considering a fortnight ago if anyone saw me, they'd go screaming for the Ministry to arrest my skinny arse and give me to dementors, I'm a bit pleased at this characterization for a change. At least she didn't make up total crap about 'my time in Azkaban.' "

"True," I agreed. "She was too busy making up total crap about everything else. It probably wore her out before she even gave a thought to that topic. And what's with me being seven months pregnant? I'm only five! Can the woman get a fact straight?" I sighed in exasperation.

"I fully understand, as I've had to put up with that for twelve years myself. Oh, go on. Read the rest," Sirius said airily. "I'm quite anxious to hear if I became weepy during the interview. Or would that be you, you reckon?"

"Probably me, eating my heart out over all the women who are now hopelessly in love with my wanton sex god of a husband. No thanks ... I'll finish it later," I said. Then I thought of something and changed the subject. "James' birthday is coming up in July, remember? What would you like to do for it?"

He looked thoughtful. "I don't know. Be nice to do something special ... I'll think about it. What have you done before?"

I chewed on my lip, thinking. "Well, we did one on the HMS Belfast in London one year, believe it or not. It was fun. Had some parties with his mates at the house. Then sometimes it was just the two of us. I'm sure he would enjoy a more 'wizard-y' approach now, though, if you can think of something suitable." My stomach growled loudly, and I added, "I might get something to eat from the bakery. Want to go?"

"Sure, I'll take a stroll with you. D'you think James will be waking up soon?"

I checked the clock. 8:30. "Nah. He usually sleeps in, summers. We'll be back before he gets up."

I stood and stretched, feeling uncomfortable as the baby continued its kicking and squirming. Sirius took my hand and kissed me softly.

"When you're rich and even more famous, don't forget that I've _always_ thought you were a wanton sex god," I said, kissing him back as I touched his face. "I love you."

"And I love you, beautiful. Ready?" he asked, and he smiled at me. I nodded.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

We took our time walking down the little side street before making a turn into the High Street toward the bakery. Sirius held my arm in his. Ever since our little side trip to Wasdale, he had seemed very happy and content. We had ultimately decided on renewing our vows in front of the vicar whilst in the Lake District, and it felt right to both of us to reaffirm our commitment then, even if nobody else was present. Upon our return to Hogsmeade, though, his presence had caused a bit of a stir whenever we were out of doors. Not the least of which was from our immediate neighbors. Suddenly foot traffic had vastly increased on our tiny lane. He didn't seem to mind the attention too much, though he mentioned a few times the prospect of eventually moving back to London and the house we owned on the outskirts; it was conveniently located in muggle territory.

As we strolled, we passed the Three Broomsticks. It wasn't yet open for business, though we saw an employee using his wand to cast spells transporting cases of butterbeer into the establishment's side door. "James and I were always using his invisibility cloak to get into this place," he commented. "We would use the Map to scope out where Filch was, then slip into a tunnel leading over to Honeydukes. Then we'd spend the evening watching Madame Rosmerta's ...uh...well, never mind. We tried to sneak a few firewhiskies, but mostly wound up with butterbeer, unfortunately."

"Yes, well, Madame Rosmerta has plenty of ... _ahem_ ... to stare at," I said slyly. "I can just picture you as a randy teenager checking out the buxom barmaid. Tell me, did she carry mustard packets in her cleavage?"

"What on earth do you mean?" he asked indignantly. His face reddened a bit, rather uncharacteristically.

I shrugged. "I took James to the Hofbrau House in Munich once. The barmaids kept mustard packets for the pretzels there. Very practical, those Germans. And, boy, did _he_ ever notice!" I rolled my eyes in exaggeration at the peculiarities of the male sex.

"Well, Scottish barmaids keep _nothing_ there," he retorted, then looked askance when I laughed at his slip.

"So you know from experience, then?" I teased him. We had arrived at the bakery. He held the door for me, then followed me in. A few heads swiveled around, but he paid them no notice. We stood behind an elderly couple who were taking their time to decide. The old woman turned upon hearing us speaking behind her, and realized who it was. She frantically grabbed at a _Daily Prophet_ which was folded neatly under her arm.

"Elmer, look!" she whispered loudly, digging into him with her elbow. "It's Sirius Black and his wife, that muggle Lisa." Sirius tried hard to keep from laughing as I glared reproachfully at him. Apparently Elmer's wife had only read Skeeter's article and none of the others. Elmer turned around, goggling at Sirius through bottle-thick glasses, as his wife looked hard at me.

"And here Aberforth tried to tell us your name was Laura," she said accusingly, squinting at the paper for verification. She didn't bother with pleasantries.

"My name _is _Laura!" I exclaimed.

"Well, _she _says it's Lisa," the old woman said, shaking her paper.

"Well, she's wrong, isn't she?" I countered irritably. Damn paper hadn't been out for even a few hours yet, and I was already being slammed for Rita Skeeter's incompetence.

"No need to be hateful," she said chidingly. "Must be the pregnancy, like Rita said. So how are _you_, dear?" the woman added sweetly to Sirius. "Bit hard on your poor husband, aren't you?" she added, glancing harshly back to me now.

"Oh yeah," I said sarcastically. "I really should work on that."

"My wife is _very_ nice, thank you," Sirius said, growing increasingly amused at the absurdity of this conversation. "She did take me in, if you'll notice, when nobody else would."

By now, Elmer had paid and they turned to leave.

"Maybe your temper will improve once that baby's born," she said haughtily, adding,_ "I hope,"_ under her breath as they began to walk off. "Take care of that husband of yours, now. He deserves it!"

Before I could respond, Sirius moved up to the counter. "And what would you like, uh, sir?" the slight girl who worked behind the counter asked, looking greatly impressed at who was standing in front of her. "A half dozen croissants and a few sticky buns," he answered absently. He turned back to me. "I just thought of a good place for a birthday party!"

"Oh ... what's that?" I answered, surveying the various cakes and pastries in the glass case.

"The Museum of Quidditch in London. I'd say they'll do parties there. James would love it, I think." Sirius pointed to a cake displayed beyond the glass. Tiny Quidditch players adorned the surface, which was decorated as a Quidditch pitch. A miniscule snitch flew back and forth across in a zig-zag pattern as a seeker tried to catch it.

Remembering James' desire to try out for the Gryffindor team next year, I had to agree. "I'm sure he doesn't realize a Quidditch museum even exists. Good idea!"

Sirius paid the shopkeeper and we walked out to a few more stares. He sighed. "I can see this getting tiresome before long," he said quietly, finally serious about the issue.

At this hour of the morning, a chill permeated the air, making me shiver involuntarily. I had a sudden memory of dementors close by, and changed the subject.

"So, did you send an owl to Harry?" I asked.

Sirius nodded. "Dumbledore told me he has to stay with his family for a period of time, in order for his protection to hold. We're hoping to arrange things so I can pick him up at his aunt and uncle's and he can spend some time with us prior to the Quidditch World Cup. Which brings me to something else. Are you familiar with it at all?"

"What? The World Cup? No, not really. I haven't been involved enough with wizards to get a handle on that particular sport," I said. "Other than what little I've heard from you and James."

He spied a bench in front of Madame Puddifoot's and gestured for me to sit. As he joined me, he put an arm around me and said, "Well, I've, uh, been offered a few tickets to it. It's in August."

I pondered this for a moment. It might be hard for me to get to a sporting event at that late date. He seemed to read my mind. "I'm thinking about asking James to go. Would that bother you? If it would, I won't do it," he added hastily.

"Oh ... no. Sounds like a great father-son type of thing. I think you should ask him. Who offered you the tickets?"

"Ah, well, Harry's friend Ron told him his dad had a few extras," he said nonchalantly. "Rather good seats, actually. I'm thinking we'll all be able to sit together. Harry's probably going, too. You sure it's alright? I hate the thought of leaving you."

I nodded, feeling a bit let down, but then immediately felt a stab of guilt, considering how many years Sirius hadn't even known he had a son. He deserved this time with James. "Oh, of course it's alright. You'll have a great time," I said, taking his hand in mine.

His face brightened considerably. "Yeah, I think so," he answered, his face breaking out into a wide grin. "And then Harry's birthday is in late July. I'd like to get him something nice, as well."

"We have plenty of time to think about that," I said contentedly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When we returned to the house, James was still in bed, as expected. An owl, or a few owls by the looks of it, had already come, and several letters littered the hallway directly in front of the slit in the front door. I kneeled to pick them up. As I flipped through the pile, I saw that most were addressed to Sirius_. _No hate mail for me just yet, it appeared, only fan mail for my husband. I put the letters on the kitchen table.

"I thought I'd ask James to go to Hogwarts with me today," Sirius said as he leafed through his mail. He set it back down without reading any of it. "I'm hoping to find Rubeus Hagrid. He was the last one to have my motorcycle ... maybe he's still got it, with any luck. I'd really like to have it back."

"Oh yeah! I'd forgotten all about it. I have lots of good memories of that bike." I thought of our first date and how I'd wrapped my arms tightly around him as we drove off on it. "Too bad I never thought to ask him myself before now."

He nodded and continued, thinking out loud. "Of course, I'd probably have to redo the charms on it to make it fly again ... don't know if they'd still hold after all this time."

"Well, if something's happened to it, it would be a good excuse to get a new one," I added encouragingly. I was so anxious for Sirius to be happy. "But anyway, while you're gone today, I've an appointment to see a healer. I'm not really sure what to expect."

"What? Oh, because of the baby. Hmmm, I'm not sure what they'll do. Not going back to see the muggle doctor?"

"I don't know yet; depends on how this goes. I'm hedging my bets right now, just in case this healer scares the bejeesus out of me...so I still have my next appointment with an obstetrician in Dovetown scheduled. It's a few weeks away."

"I'd like to go with you to at least one, if you don't mind," he said. "Especially if they do another one of those ... uber-noise things, is it? I want to see the baby myself."

I wrinkled my brow in confusion, then smiled. "Oh, an ultrasound? They most likely won't do another one, at least for a while. I suppose they might make an exception, though, if I tell them you'd like to see one."

A noise from the hallway made us both turn. James had awoken and was rubbing his eyes as he shuffled toward the loo. He suddenly noticed us, and issued a sleepy grunt.

"Morning, James!" Sirius greeted him jovially.

"Oh, hi ... Dad," James answered, his voice still rough with sleep. He wandered into the bathroom and closed the door.

I called after him, "We've got breakfast, honey! It's in the kitchen." I heard another muffled grunt in answer, and turned to go pour another cup of coffee.

When James emerged from the loo, considerably refreshed, Sirius and I were sitting at the table once more with the pile of the latest _Prophets_ stacked between us. We hadn't bothered reading any more. James opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottle of milk.

"James, I was wondering if you might like to go to Hogwarts with me today," Sirius announced. James looked surprised.

"What's going on at Hogwarts?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I'm on the hunt for my old motorcycle. It flies, you see, so it's very special to me. Hagrid had it, last I knew, so I figured I'd start with him. What do you say?"

James was intrigued. "Yeah, sure!"

Sirius looked extremely pleased.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

I arrived a few minutes early for my appointment with the healer. After completing some rudimentary paperwork, which appeared to be the norm at any medical facility, I sat in the waiting room, tapping my foot impatiently. I wondered if Sirius and James were having any luck finding his old motorbike. I hoped Hagrid still was in possession of it.

Before long, my name was called, and I followed the assistant back to a room. I found it very curious that there was no examination table. I was used to having to lie embarrassingly spread-eagled on crunchy paper with my feet in stirrups. The assistant motioned for me to sit in a comfy chair until the healer came in. I was by myself only a few minutes before a middle-aged woman opened the door, closing it behind her. She gave me a pleasant smile, introducing herself as Norah Fraser.

"Well, if you don't mind my saying so, I've read quite a bit about you," she said, smiling. She held a chart containing the papers I had just filled out.

"But you called me 'Laura,' " I said, grinning at her.

She sighed. "Well, I'll not deny I've read Skeeter's 'interview', but I don't place too much stock in anything the woman says. Can't even get your name right, after all!"

"Well, thank you. Nice to know not everyone eats up her drivel." I felt slightly vindicated.

"So! You're five months gone, I read here. Pregnancy progressing nicely, I suppose?"

I grimaced. "Oh, well as can be expected. Had a few bouts of constipation – that was fun – and, uh, I stay hot all the time. That's all I can think of at the moment."

She nodded. "Well, you probably know how to combat the constipation. Are you drinking plenty of water? Very important, you know."

"Yeah, trying to," I lied. I probably drank much more coffee than water, which might not help too much.

"Well, let's have a look," she said. I sat, confused, not knowing what to do.

"Uh, I've never done this before," I said. "I've always seen muggle doctors."

"Oh. Alright, then. All I do at this point is wave my wand over your belly a few times, then the rest of your body. If you're having other symptoms, we can usually alleviate them then." Sounded promising, anyway. She pulled out her wand from the robes she wore, and delicately swished it over my belly rather extensively, muttering what sounded like a foreign language. After a time, she proceeded to my head, where she waved it gracefully over everything else. I felt a few minor twinges as the wand came close to my skin. "Ah, you've got a tiny bit of melasma," she mentioned, observing my face closely. "But I think I got it all."

"Melasma? What's that?"

"Oh, just the mask of pregnancy. A discoloration of the face, usually."

"Anything else?" I asked, now rather impressed.

"Some tiny bumps on your legs and arms. Got rid of those, too." I remembered that symptom from my previous pregnancy. I decided I liked this lady very much.

"So, sweetheart, would you like to know what you're having?" she asked pleasantly.

"Oh, well, I think I know already. I was seeing that muggle doctor, and -"

She interrupted me with a disparaging noise deep in her throat. "Muggle? What on earth do they know?"

"They did an ultrasound. They're usually pretty accurate," I said, a bit defensively.

"Oh really? And what did they tell you?" She sounded disbelieving.

I thought. "How about telling me what you think first?"

"Alright, then." She waved the wand once more in the general direction of my lower abdomen. The tip glowed a bright orange when she finished. "You, my dear, are having ... a BOY!"

I sat there, a triumphant smile half-frozen on my face. "Uh, no, I'm pretty sure I'm having a _girl_."

She snorted derisively. "That what _they _told you?"

I nodded. "Are you sure?"

Her face relaxed a bit. "The wand never lies, my dear. _You_ are having a boy."


	35. Meet the Dursleys

I walked back the short distance to the house, deep in thought. I had seen the muggle ultrasound for myself and, to my untrained eye at least, no male appendages had presented themselves even remotely. Then the thought of _twins_ occurred to me, and I felt a momentary surge of panic. The prospect of one baby was daunting enough; I couldn't imagine having _two_ at once, even now that Sirius was free and home with us. I tried to tell myself that if the wand didn't lie, as the healer had proclaimed, surely it would have been smart enough to figure out that two babies were in there. Comforting myself with this thought, I waved my own wand at the front door and let myself in. The house was completely quiet; obviously Sirius and James were still at Hogwarts. I hoped they were having a good time together. It was wonderful to see them interacting well thus far. The initial awkwardness as they grew accustomed to each other was slowly disappearing, though not completely gone. James was clearly used to being the man of the family, and with Sirius now assuming that role, albeit not forcing himself on his son, James had been a bit out of sorts at first. But for now, everything between them was flowing smoothly as they became better acquainted.

Sirius was excited now about the idea of going away for a family holiday, and hopefully asking Harry to go if possible. We had discussed a few different places of interest, most notably Switzerland and Italy. He had even gone into the local bookshop and found a copy of _Wizarding Travels in Europe_. Once I was settled in, enjoying the quiet, I opened the book and flipped through it. The place in Italy where James and I had been some years back, on the Ligurian Peninsula, was very close to the small wizarding town of Doria, which was a tiny bit further inland. Sirius had bookmarked it as a place of interest. Sounded promising. I thumbed some more pages and came to another dog eared corner. Switzerland. And a remote tiny village in the Bernese Oberland region called Winteralpen. Well, it sounded quiet enough for Sirius. It was in an avalanche zone, and right on the edge of a cliff, though I figured wizards didn't worry about that kind of thing too much. I thought it must help them keep muggles away. I read a passage to myself.

_Situated overlooking the lush Lauterbrunnen Valley, the quiet village of Winteralpen is a haven for wizards and witches desiring solitude and tranquility. The only noises you'll hear are a gentle clanging of cowbells and the distant crash of avalanches which can be heard from across the valley in the shade of the Monch, the Eiger and the Jungfrau. Enjoy a relaxing elegant dinner on the terrace of Das Zwei Zauberspruchen year-round (heated by charms in winter). A special apparition point exists at the wizarding entrance to Jungfraujoch to enable wizards to avoid the muggle crowd! See the fantastic ice sculptures. Bring a broomstick (or rent one at the wizarding entrance to Jungfraujoch) and soar down the Jungfrau glacier valley. Caution: a disillusionment charm is a must to avoid detection by muggle skiers! Closest muggle town: Murren/Gimmelwald._

I set the book down in my lap, hearing the faint roar of an engine that was steadily growing louder. Maybe it was Sirius and James returning with the motorbike. Something he'd said to James earlier crossed my mind randomly. _"It flies, you see, so it's very special to me ..."_ Oh God, he wasn't actually _flying _that thing with James on it, was he? I jumped up from the chair, flinging the book on a table, and ran to the front door. If Sirius had managed to convince James to fly on that hunk of metal, he was getting a big piece of my mind. I opened the door just as the bike pulled up to the curb outside our house. Sirius' hair had been blown wildly by the wind and my heart skipped a beat as I watched him, temporarily forgetting my panic. His appearance reminded me acutely of one of the first times I had ever seen him, when he had picked me up for a date, and I had thought he was absolutely stunning. He looked that way now. Then I noticed James, and the uncanny resemblance to his father struck me once more. The two men I loved more than anything. Sirius was laughing at something James had said.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," I heard him respond in a low voice. Then he looked in my direction and, seeing me, walked over to me and hugged me hard. "What do you think?" he asked with delight, gesturing to the bike with a huge grin on his face.

"Just the way I remember," I said fondly. "Looks like Hagrid took good care of it for you. Did you, er, _drive _it home?"

"Huh? Oh ... yeah!" He smiled rather shiftily and looked sideways at James, who wore a poker face. I narrowed my eyes at them suspiciously but didn't pursue the issue.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, thinking I would corner Sirius at a later time about this flying motorcycle.

"Yes, absolutely starving!" Sirius exclaimed. "Hagrid had these rather ... _disgusting_ rock cakes. Horrid. I ate one just to be nice, but anything you'd fix would be a great improvement. It's going to sit in my stomach for days, I fear." He kissed me for effect.

"Right. Well, I've a book with some one-minute recipes in it that I've yet to use. Maybe I'll give it a try," I said, giving James, who had walked over in my direction, a peck on the cheek.

"Remind me to tell you my good news later ... I'm going to work on the bike for a bit," Sirius called after me as I went into the house.

Several minutes later, _One Minute Feasts – It's Magic!_ was proving to be slightly more complicated than I had anticipated.

Satisfied that I had followed instructions to the letter, I now attempted a baking spell on the casserole dish in front of me. It burst into flames, and I screeched with terror. Sirius, closely followed by James, rushed into the kitchen. He whipped his wand out quickly, extinguishing the fire with an _aguamenti_ charm. Then he waved it to finish cleaning the mess up.

"What on earth happened?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm _trying _to fix dinner," I groused. I closed the book with a thud. "What was your terrific news, by the way? That you brought some food home, already prepared?"

He laughed heartily now that any danger was past. "No, just that Dumbledore, whom I spoke to for a moment today, said that Harry should be able to go with us to the continent if he likes." He opened the refrigerator for something to munch on. Not finding anything that looked to be worth eating, he closed it again and picked up the cursed cookery book. "Would you like me to try?" he asked, leaning over to kiss me. He lingered for a moment at my mouth, touching my belly at the same time, and gave me a suggestive look that James didn't see. Our son was too busy poring over the small stack of _Daily Prophets _to pay attention to us anyway. He snorted as he read something.

"Hey, I think that Skeeter lady must think you're really something, Dad," James said eventually, guffawing. I looked over at him.

"Yes, we _had_ figured that out already," I answered, snickering at Sirius' pained expression.

"Well, I count three mentions of you already on different days in her little column. And what's with _Lisa?_"

"Just means she didn't like me quite as much," I said brightly.

James promptly lost interest in the papers. "So when are we going up again? I mean ... for a ride?"

A-ha! "Up?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you take him up in the air on that thing?" I wanted to see him worm his way out of this.

Sirius decided to try and make me see reason. "Well, Laura, he _does _ride a broom rather frequently. What's the difference?"

"Just that ..." My voice trailed off. I had to admit, it was a good point. I'd have to come up with an argument later.

"I'd like to teach him to drive it, anyway." This was said a touch defiantly.

"Sirius, James isn't even twelve yet! Give it some time, already!" I said, exasperated.

"Okay, then, when he turns twelve in a few weeks, I'll take him back up again," he answered, quite unruffled. I rolled my eyes.

"Going to make dinner?" I asked, "or should I try once more?"

"Um, no, I'll do it," Sirius replied with a smug grin. "Of course, everything you cook is so good. Haven't you used this book before?"

"No, I usually prepare it the, er, conventional way. I just use the wand to turn on the appliances. Thought I'd try something different this time," I said, shrugging at that failure.

Later, when dinner was prepared and we sat down to eat, Sirius leaned back in his chair, thinking.

"You know, I believe it would be a good idea to pay Harry a little visit." This pronouncement was made with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Oh, you do?" I answered.

"Yeah. It would be nice to meet his aunt and uncle," he said, now not bothering to hide a wide grin.

"You, the convicted murderer? They'll have kittens, from what I've heard!" I couldn't help laughing at the thought. Sirius had told me what little he knew about poor Harry's relations. I wished it were possible for him to live with us all the time, the way they sounded. But Dumbledore had been firm. He needed to spend at least some time with them in the summers until he turned seventeen.

"Yeah. Some protection they provide. They barely feed the boy! I think _we_ could do much better." Sirius had a look of disgust on his face.

"Oh!" I suddenly remembered something.

"What is it, the baby?" James asked, appearing concerned.

"Well, yes and no. No, nothing just happened, but yes, it's about the baby. I forgot to tell you about my appointment today."

"Oh yeah! How did that go?"

"Interesting. I think I prefer the healer over the muggle doctor. She helped me out with some of the more unpleasant aspects of pregnancy. Makes me wish I'd started there to begin with. But that's not really what I meant to tell you."

"Oh? What is it?" Sirius took a bite of casserole.

"The healer says I'm having a boy."

He started. "You're joking! But you had one of those ...er, things!"

"Ultrasound. I know. So I don't know what to think. James, you may have a little brother instead of a sister."

"Mmmmphhhm," James grunted noncommitally as he ate.

"So what's next?" Sirius asked, changing the subject for now. "Do you think we should head back to London?"

"Sure," I answered. "I'd like to get some things for the baby. Maybe we can decide then if we want to stay there. It would be nice to get my car serviced anyway."

"Oh! That reminds me. Do you mind if I work on it a bit? Maybe make it slightly more ... magical?"

"In what way?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh, just the usual things. Make it expandable, to, you know, adjust its size when needed. Nothing more."

I pretended offense. "My dear. My Corvette needs no magical intervention! She's perfect just as she is."

He grinned. "I know, darling. But it couldn't hurt to give her a bit of an upgrade, if you know what I mean."

"We'll see," I said, knowing all along I'd let him work on it.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Exactly one week later at four o'clock in the afternoon, Sirius, James and I stood on the doorstep of Number 4, Privet Drive in Little Whinging. The Corvette sat, looking fabulous, in the driveway. Sirius had debated on whether or not to give the Dursleys advance notice, but ultimately decided things would be much more interesting if we showed up unannounced and dared them to keep us from taking Harry. James had a similar gleam in his eye with the thought of what was about to happen. He had heard several things about this muggle family from his proximity to Harry in Gryffindor House. Sirius rang the bell, and after a moment or two we heard the sound of footsteps from inside. The door opened and a tall, skinny woman answered. She took one look at Sirius' long mane and neatly trimmed facial hair and immediately moved a step backward. We stood looking curiously at her. Lily's sister, I presumed. Her horsey face showed absolutely no resemblance to Harry's mother. Just then, she opened her mouth. "May I, uh, help you?" she said in a tone that was most unhelpful.

Sirius decided to be the spokesperson for our little group. "Well, yes, you can. We are here to see our godson, Harry Potter." He gave her a winning smile as she gasped audibly. We continued to stand there as her horrified gaze shifted from Sirius to myself and down to my belly. Then she looked at James, trying to work out just who _he_ was. When she made no move whatsoever, Sirius said pleasantly, "May we come in?"

"Well, er, Harry's not here just now," she said. Her mouth turned down unpleasantly as she strategically placed an elbow against the doorway. Presumably it was to block our vision of the spectacle-clad boy who was quickly approaching.

"Apparently he is!" Sirius announced triumphantly. "Harry!"

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" He couldn't have looked more pleased.

A deep voice bellowed from somewhere inside the house. "Harry!! You've let the food burn! Get in here and make it right!"

Sirius grinned even more widely. "So we're just in time for dinner!" Harry couldn't help but break out into a smile himself. I tried to hide my amusement as his aunt did her best to barricade the door. "Well, Mrs. Dursley, are you going to let us in?" Sirius asked, casually taking his wand out and reaching to scratch his back with it. Now James looked like he was about to break into giggles at Mrs. Dursley's expression.

"Harry!!" the voice roared once more. Now Sirius' smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'd like to meet your uncle, Harry," he said, his voice quiet now. Petunia Dursley, I assumed, since she hadn't bothered to introduce herself, finally moved out of the way helplessly as Sirius stood right in front of her. The three of us walked past her through the hallway and toward the back of the house. Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder supportively, and they passed through a doorway leading into the kitchen. An extremely large man had his back to us, grumbling over a skillet in which something seemed to be burning.

"Harry, get over here and fix this mess you made!" he growled irritably, not bothering to turn around.

"Mr. Dursley, I presume?" Sirius said lightly. The enormous man slowly turned around to see who had spoken. When he saw Sirius standing there holding a wand, his horrified gaze now mimicked his wife's from a few minutes earlier. He looked Sirius from top to bottom as the wizard stood there quietly. With a revolted look, Dursley's eyes rested on Sirius' long hair just as his wife's had.

"Just who are you lot?" he finally spat out.

Sirius replied calmly, "I'm Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. This is my wife, Laura and our son James. And I am assuming you are Mr. Dursley, though you still have yet to admit it." Dursley's face turned a dark shade of violet.

"Well, let me tell you something, you long-haired layabout, you'll not stay in my home a minute longer if I have something to say about it." His infuriated gaze now rested on me. "Knocked her up, did you? Going to churn out another one of those abnormal freaks in a few months?" His beady eyes stayed glued to my belly.

I opened my mouth to respond angrily, then thought I should try the calm approach. "What do -" but I was interrupted by my husband.

"I believe you are being extremely insulting to my wife and I don't appreciate it. Now, unless you'd like me to use _this_ a bit more liberally-" Sirius held the wand up, "I believe you should apologize. Then we will visit with Harry."

Dursley, whose face was even darker now, stopped in his tracks. "Sorry," he mumbled malevolently.

"Good! Now, Harry, shall we go into the sitting room? We have some things to talk about."

Mr. Dursley wasn't finished, however. With a renewed look of horror, he said, "You're the one who escaped from prison?"

Sirius paused. "Yes, that's me. Convicted of killing thirteen people, to be exact." I had a feeling he planned to have some fun with this information. "I was set free recently, though. On a technicality." After casually throwing this out there, he put a hand in his pocket, still holding the wand with his other one, and followed Harry into the sitting room. As I looked around, for a brief moment I wished Petunia Dursley would come and clean my cluttery house. This place was immaculate. I thought about being nice and telling her so, but she still looked at me as though I harbored a deadly communicable disease. I sat next to Sirius on the sofa instead, sinking into the deep cushions. James sat on my other side, looking a bit more uncomfortable with the situation. The Dursleys stood there in the doorway, clearly wondering how to go about throwing us out of the house. Sirius ignored them now.

"James," Harry began, "how'd exams go?"

James looked up shyly. "Oh, fine. Yours?"

"Good, good." He sat there for a moment.

"Harry," Sirius said. "We're going on holiday very soon, and we would love it if you wanted to join us."

"Oh! That sounds great! Only thing is, the Quidditch World Cup is in August. Will that be a problem?"

"Absolutely not," Sirius said with satisfaction. "James and I should be sitting with you and your friends, actually. We're only going away for a short time on this trip."

"I haven't said he could go," came the nasty voice of Mr. Dursley from the doorway.

Sirius looked up calmly. "Well, the thing is, _I_ say he can. And I believe we'll just go with what I say."

Dursley looked as though he would like nothing more than to strangle Sirius as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Sirius appeared supremely unconcerned with this, though. "Well, Harry, Dumbledore has cleared you to go home with us now if you'd like. Interested?"

Harry looked as though he'd just won the lottery. "Oh yeah! Absolutely! Let me just go and get my things ready." He quickly left the room to head upstairs.

"Good!" Sirius exclaimed. We continued to sit in the overstuffed sofa. Sirius took my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. The Dursleys, not knowing what to do with themselves at this point, seemed to fade away into another room, if only temporarily.

I leaned over and whispered in Sirius' ear, "You rock, you know that?" and kissed him on the cheek.

He laughed and kissed me back, on the lips. "Thank you, darling. Are you and James going to drive back to London?"

I felt James stiffen next to me. "How about you and James apparate to the house and Harry and I will take the Corvette?" I suggested instead. I had a feeling James was worried about his position being usurped with the arrival of Harry, and I wanted them both to be as comfortable as possible.

Sirius got my meaning. "Oh, yeah, that'll be better," he conceded. "James should go with me."

Suddenly Vernon Dursley reappeared in the doorway. "Still here, are you?" he said nastily, though it was obvious we had never made an exit.

"Clearly," Sirius answered sardonically. "Laura, do you know who he reminds me of? One of those muggles on that street in London that I -"

"Sirius!" I said, trying not to laugh. Dursley's face registered sheer terror as he tried to process this.

"One of _what_ muggles?" he demanded.

"Oh, just one that made me really ... angry," Sirius replied, examining his wand tip innocently. Just then we heard a loud clunking noise as Harry descended the steps with his trunk, and Sirius rose. "Harry, I'm sorry. I should have offered to help."

"Oh, no, no problem," Harry assured him. His face was flushed with the exertion. "I'll just go and get Hedwig," he continued, treading back up the steps. Sirius made the trunk levitate with his wand, to Dursley's continued horror, and it floated through the hall toward the front door, banging against the wall a few times for good measure. I suspected Sirius did it on purpose, and it achieved the desired effect. Petunia's face contorted with rage for the first time, making her strongly resemble her husband all of a sudden.

"You'll watch where you're going with that trunk!" She raised her voice very uncharacteristically. Suddenly the front door was flung open, seemingly of its own accord. I had gotten up by now, in time to see a huge hulk of a boy squeeze through the entrance. He looked rather stupidly at the trunk hanging in mid-air, then seeing Sirius holding a wand, shrieked and ran immediately up the stairs to his room, hugging his backside with both hands. Sirius looked at me quizzically.

"What in the name of Merlin is wrong with him?" he asked, then shrugged. The front door still stood open, and Sirius guided the trunk more carefully through the doorway.

"Do _not_ use magic outside!" Mr. Dursley hissed angrily, following behind him.

"Well, I'm afraid my back is rather, um, sore, so I suppose if you want it carried out in _muggle_ fashion, maybe you'd be a dear and pick it up yourself." Sirius allowed the trunk to rest on the front step, then stood there unapologetically. Dursley looked around anxiously to be sure no neighbors were watching, then with great reluctance picked up the trunk and lugged it over to the car. Sirius barely tipped his wand, popping open the boot, which didn't improve Mr. Dursley's mood a bit. He glared viciously, then hurriedly attempted to put the luggage in. It didn't fit, much to his annoyance. Sirius sighed and flicked his wand once more. The trunk suddenly slid in, and Dursley made great strides to return to the house as quickly as possible after slamming it shut. By now Harry had returned with his snowy owl, and James followed him.

"Ready, guys?" Sirius asked. "Harry, you'll be going in the car, okay?" Harry nodded, looking very impressed with the shiny automobile sitting in the drive. We all stepped out of the front door and looked back. Vernon Dursley slammed the door behind us. Sirius shrugged and gave Harry a very sympathetic look.

"C'mon, Harry," I said. "See you soon, darling," I said, hugging James and Sirius respectively.

"I believe your uncle kicked us out a bit too quickly," Sirius said with good humor, looking at Harry. "We'll have to apparate out here where _anyone_ can see." At that moment, the front door opened wide once more and Mr. Dursley growled angrily at them.

"Come back in and do your poncey magic! Not outside!" Sirius winked at me and Harry, and took James with him back into the lions' den.


	36. Back to London

Harry and I sped up the M25 toward our house outside London. He didn't have much to say at first, and I imagined that he would have been more comfortable traveling with Sirius. Before too long, though, he haltingly began to engage in conversation by bringing up a familiar topic.

"Uh, what should I call you? Mrs. Black?"

I smiled. "No. Laura's fine. Mrs. Black makes me sound too old."

He laughed at that, then grew serious. "Well, I think I should tell you I'm sorry. For letting Pettigrew go. It could have been really bad for Sirius, and I still feel awful about it."

"Harry. Don't worry about it. If I were in your shoes, I'd have probably done the exact same thing. I understand why you did it, and Sirius certainly isn't upset about it either."

This seemed to make him feel better, though he was silent for a few minutes. Then he brought up another subject.

"So you knew my parents well?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did. I met them the same day I met Sirius, actually." Well, not strictly true, but close enough. It was what _I_ remembered, anyway.

"So. What did you think of them?" I could tell he was eager for whatever information I could give him.

"Ah, well. Your mum was such a sweet person. She was very interested in seeing Sirius happy, so she really encouraged our relationship. She and I did quite a few things together. Your dad was very funny, too. He always made me laugh, and he and Sirius were inseparable. We had some great times together." _Until you and I lost all three of them at the same time, _I thought, but didn't say it. "Your parents were at our wedding. Just the four of us."

"Were you at theirs?" Harry asked.

"No, that was before Sirius and I met," I replied. I wondered offhand if Sirius had taken anyone else to that wedding.

"What about my grandparents? Did you ever know them?"

"No, I'm afraid I didn't. They had already passed away when I met Sirius. I'm not sure when, though. He loved your dad's parents. They must have been extremely kind to him. Unlike his own." I rolled my eyes.

Harry saw my look. "What about Sirius' parents? Did you ever know them?"

"Hmmm. No. I didn't know them. Met his mum once. But his dad and only brother died the same year we met. He wasn't fond of any of them."

"What was his mother like?"

I laughed. "Well, if you ever saw _Mommie Dearest_, she was probably a bit like that. Total gargoyle. Poor Sirius. I don't know how he made it out of that nasty family alive. And so completely opposite, thank God. But the one and only time I met his mum was, uh, interesting."

"Where was it?" Harry wanted to know.

"Just outside the house where Sirius grew up. I convinced him one day to take a stroll there. I wanted to see where he had lived as a boy. He reluctantly agreed to do it. Anyway, by sheer coincidence his mum had apparently been somewhere and was returning just as we walked by." I sighed. "I'm not sure who was more repulsed, him or his mother. She hurled a few insults at me ... trash, mudblood, muggle. Of course she had no idea if I was a muggle or not, but I guess she had to get in a few digs at Sirius."

"_What are _you_ doing here?" the old woman asked when she saw her son and daughter-in-law looking up at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. No welcome, nothing. Then she topped it. "What is _that_?" she asked, sneering at Laura. "Girlfriend? Muggle, I'm sure. You'd only mess around with trash like that, after all." _

_Sirius stiffened in anger. "She is my _wife_, and you will not speak to her like that," he said slowly. Laura had looked at the older woman first in amusement, having been prepared for a belligerent attitude, but it evaporated quickly when the insults began to roll off the woman's tongue. _

"_Wife? One of those damned mudbloods or muggles, though. You're a disgrace." _

_Meanwhile, her son clenched his fists as though he would love nothing more than to slap her face. Laura grabbed one of his hands. "Let's go. Sorry I suggested this," she said softly. She pulled on his hand. "C'mon, honey." _

"_Well, mudblood! Aren't you going to speak to me?" Mrs. Black taunted. _

"_You know, I'm not above beating an old woman who can't keep her mouth shut," Sirius snapped. "I said, you won't talk to her that way."_

_But Laura turned to answer. "Well, sure. Your son is most likely the one good thing to come out of your decaying, mouldy old family. He's worth several hundred of you, you bitter, skanky old pureblood ho-bag. Now," she added, turning back to Sirius, "I am ready to go." And turning on her heel, she and Sirius walked away together, leaving the older woman standing there watching them with bitter hatred, in addition to a few curious onlookers who had overheard the argument while passing by. _

_A few blocks later she looked at Sirius to apologize once more. But now she noticed he was not angry, but was actually trying hard not to laugh. "What?" she asked quizzically._

"_I'm just wondering ... a 'skanky ho-bag?' They say that where you're from?" His lip quivered with amusement. _

"_Well, yes," she admitted. "But what's a mudblood? I did get the impression it wasn't complimentary. But unfortunately for her, to a muggle like myself, it's not a terribly effective insult." She smiled now. "I'm sorry I asked you to do that. Bad idea on my part."  
_

"_Don't be. I'll never go back there again, though. And a mudblood ... it's nothing. Don't take it to heart."_

Harry's eyes were wide. "You're kidding! I can't believe his own mother would speak to him that way."

"Well, me either. He'd told me all about her, but I had to witness it to really get the full scope. Bloody old hag. He deserved so much better."

"You're not from England originally, right?"

"No. United States. I've been here since '79, though."

"Why did you move over here?"

"Drifting, I suppose. I had a reason. Well, more of an excuse. I was studying music pretty seriously before I came over. About the only thing I was good at. I had just begun work on a doctorate. But my grandmother had given me some money and I wanted to blow it." I grinned. "Once I got here, though, I really lost interest. I loved it here, everything about the place. I had planned to stay maybe six months and no more. But I met Sirius when I'd been here half that time, and I wasn't about to go back home to absolutely nothing I cared about. I fell really hard for him." I smiled again.

"What about your family?"

"Not nasty like Sirius' family, thank God, but they were very intolerant. Somewhat like your aunt and uncle. Muggle City. Didn't like anything situation they couldn't control." Harry nodded in sympathy. "By the way, if Sirius hasn't told you already, stay with us whenever you like, alright?"

"Thanks, Laura. That would be great."

I suddenly thought of something else. "Oh, and I have some pictures of your mum and dad if you ever want to see them. Probably still boxed up from being in Hogsmeade, but it wouldn't take long to find them."

"Oh yeah! I'd like that."

We were fairly close to the house by then, and only made small talk the remainder of the ride. When I pulled into the drive, Sirius and James both came outside. After I heaved my pregnant body out of the driver's side, Sirius leaned over to kiss me, putting a hand reflexively on my belly. "Nice drive?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, it was," I answered, kissing him back. I looked quickly over at Harry, who stood watching us both speculatively, as if he was trying to see his own parents in us.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

My eyes flickered open to impenetrable darkness. At first I wasn't sure what had awoken me, but then heard a soft moan beside me. At that moment, a flailing arm struck me hard, barely missing my face. Yelping with pain, I sat up and promptly realized that Sirius must be having a nightmare. I considered whether it would be wise to wake him, but at that moment, he gasped and sat up suddenly, supported on his elbows.

"Laura!" he whispered urgently. "Where are you?"

"Here," I answered quickly, leaning over to touch him. My voice was hoarse with sleep.

"Where am I?" he asked, groping wildly for me as if to prove I was really there.

"London. Sirius, it's alright, darling." I planted a soft kiss on his sweaty cheek and squeezed his hand in sympathy. "You just had a bad dream."

He sat up all the way, burying his head in his hands. "Oh God, I thought it was real," he whispered miserably. "Turn the light on!"

I reached over, groping for the switch. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked as I squinted in the lamp light. He continued to sit hunched over in the bed, but his breathing gradually returned to normal. Offhand, I noticed his ribs still showed, though not as much as before. He was getting healthier.

He groaned. "No. Maybe later. Just stay here with me." I moved closer and put an arm around him. "Let's talk about something else. Get my mind off it." He swallowed.

"Okay," I said, trying to think of something. "Um, are you thirsty?"

"Nah, I'm alright."

"Well, then. What did the Dursleys say when you went back inside?"

"Nothing. Not a word. Bloody _nasty_ bunch of people." Then he was silent, though he heaved a great sigh, finally accepting he was out of danger.

"Alright," I replied, groping for a happier topic. "When do we leave?" I asked. "And how are we getting to Switzerland? That where we're going first?" I brushed hair out of his face.

"Oh, well ... since it's the four of us, I think we should just go in the muggle way. Maybe fly into Bern and take a train from there. I've never tried apparating with three people attached and certainly don't want to risk it with two of them being kids. _And_ a pregnant wife. And something like a portkey wouldn't really be a better choice, in your condition." He finally gave me a twisted smile. "I've sent an owl to a place in Winteralpen for reservations in the next week or so. Maybe stay there a week, then go to the Cinque Terre. How about we just stay in Vernazza or Manarola? I suppose we could visit Doria and take a stroll around. But I'd rather stay right on the ocean, as you seemed to like it so well that time you and James went." Sirius' mood seemed to improve a bit as he spoke.

"Oh, you'll like it there very much. I'm really looking forward to returning. Since I can't drink wine, I plan on having lots of gelato." I smiled at him.

"Vernazza is where I would like to stay. The first picture I saw of you after all those years was taken there. Would you mind reserving us a place?"

"Yeah, I'll locate the number and call them later this morning." I plumped a pillow behind me and laid back in the bed, resting my head on it. Sirius looked down at me, still propped up on an elbow and dark eyes glittering in the dim light.

"Since we're awake ..." he said softly. The fingers of his other hand trailed down my cheek. He didn't take his eyes off me. "Beautiful. What a lovely body you have." He moved his hand to my belly and let it lay there gently. "Baby kicking much?"

"Yeah, not strong yet. But lots of twitches and flutters. I suppose you wouldn't be able to tell by touching it. Though you can do that as much as you want." I kissed him, thinking for the millionth time how beautiful he was to me.

"The dream I had," he said, changing the subject, "I'll tell you about it now." He rested his head on my chest, still touching my belly, and I put an arm protectively around him. "It was wonderful, at first."

"Wonderful?" I was confused.

"Yeah. You and I were younger, maybe just married. We were making love, and all over each other. That went on for quite some time. I could see this intense ... pleasure in your face. You were whispering in my ear everything you wanted me to do to you. And I was so excited. I was kissing every inch of your body. Then I woke up. Or thought I did. And I was in a cold damp cell with a dementor hanging in the air over me. Attacking me." He shivered convulsively. "It felt so real ... as if it was sucking my memories of you away, one by one. I could feel the sweat pouring off me. Everything stank. Even the smell physically burned my nostrils. Your face just faded away finally, and I was left realizing that I would be there the rest of my life. I tried to transform into the dog, but I didn't have enough energy." As he spoke, I could feel the vibration of his voice in my chest. I pulled him tighter against me and kissed his hair. "I couldn't do anything but just let it take you away from me again." His voice broke. "But then I _really_ woke up, and you were here."

"That's what it was really like for you, wasn't it? I'm so sorry. God, I wish I could take it away. You shouldn't have to keep reliving it."

"Well, it's over. I'm with you, after all."

"Sirius, I love you so much. You are the most wonderful man in the world to me. I feel as though I can't tell you that enough."

"I love you, Laura," he said, raising up to look at me. "We will have a long and happy life together with our children. What we planned to begin with. It just took longer than we thought to get there." He kissed me once more. "I want to make love to you. Will you let me?"

"Yes," I said softly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The remaining days before we left were relaxing and untroubled. Sirius seemed to be doing a good job of balancing his relationships with son and godson, and Harry couldn't have been happier. He had sent an owl to his friend Ron to let him know he would be on holiday with us for a few weeks. He grew more excited about the Quidditch World Cup which was looming in late August, and seemed very happy that Sirius and James would be accompanying him to meet up with his best friend's family.

I watched James closely to see how he was handling having another boy in the house. It was rather hard to tell with him. James had always been somewhat quiet, keeping his emotions to himself. I always had thought he was more like me in that regard than Sirius. But he and Harry did seem to warm up to each other, finding plenty of common ground to talk about. Quidditch got to be a prevalent subject around the house. They were both itching to practice more on their brooms, though we lived in a Muggle neighborhood and that certainly wasn't allowed here. Sirius decided we would take them with us on holiday so Harry could help James out with his Quidditch skills in the safety of a wizarding village. I had to laugh at the thought of checking a couple of brooms at the airport, but Sirius informed me smugly that he would be enchanting them to look like skis.

"Skis. Right. You do realize it might be rather unusual for anyone to be skiing in _July_, even if it is the Alps?"

"Well, what's your suggestion?" he retorted with more than a trace of amusement.

"I vote for not taking them at all. Not that you're going to listen to me." I held a rather dim view of seeing anyone on a broom in the sky, much less my son whose life I happened to value fiercely. "I mean, this place is on the side of a cliff! What if one of them fell off over the valley?"

All three males in the household goggled at me as if I'd lost my marbles. "It's perfectly safe!" Sirius exclaimed indignantly. "James has had all year to learn how to ride one. And Harry here is a natural."

"He fell off once, though, and just by sheer luck didn't lose his life! You told me about it yourself!"

Sirius looked Harry and James as if to say, _See what I have to deal with? _ Then he turned back to me with a pained long-suffering expression which didn't move me one bit. He spoke slowly, with exaggerated patience. "Laura. You're just not used to it. James Potter was an exceptional flier, and Harry has inherited his ability. And, I'm not too bad myself, if I do say so. Our James will do just as well. Stop worrying, love!" And on that note, he said, "I think we should start packing. Alright?" He took my hand and led me away from the two boys, gently pushing me toward the bedroom.


	37. On Holiday

"God, Sirius, what are they doing?"

"Relax, love, they're fine!" he answered for the millionth time. I had managed thus far to avoid seeing James on a broom, and preferred to be in the dark about what flying entailed. Which included going so high that I could no longer see either one of them, it appeared.

"Make them come down!" I said with gritted teeth. "I'm going to go into premature labor if they don't stop," I added ominously. Sirius only grinned at me, ignoring my empty threat.

"You'll get used to it, babe," he said soothingly. We were sprawled, or at least I was, on a carpet of dandelions in a meadow that looked straight out of _The Sound of Music. _The Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau loomed in the background, and I couldn't stop snapping pictures of the scenery. Sirius was laying on his stomach, alternating between scribbling in a notebook and watching the boys flying their brooms, though much less concerned about their welfare than I was. Instead, he was writing, in his flowing script, prospective names for the new addition due sometime in October. He had come up with several boy names, but only one girl name was in that particular column: Livia.

"I wish we could use Sirius again; I love the name," I commented, trying not to look at James and Harry cavorting in the air with other wizard their ages vacationing in the same place, namely Winteralpen, in the Swiss Alps.

"Ah, well, it would be rather confusing, anyway," Sirius said, though he smiled indulgently at me. "It'd be nice to use a Potter name in there somewhere, though."

"Well, it's your call," I said. "Since I named the last one."

He looked at me, blissful and completely carefree, then rolled over on his back and looked up at the sky.

"Merlin, this feels so good!" he exclaimed. "I'm so glad to be away from England and all the ... attention." He looked at me intently, and I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Laura-" he began in a sly tone, "is it, um, usual to _want_ it so much during pregnancy?"

"What? Have I come on to you at all today? I think not. "

"Well," he said, miming an exhausted look, "last night, more specifically. You were very insistent, in fact, that I let you have your way with me." He looked up at me euphorically. "In fact, this is shaping to be the one of the most wonderful holidays we've ever taken, in that regard."

I thought back to our early years. "I dunno. We were all over each other years ago, as well. Our first time, for example, was very, hmmm, prolific, don't you think? I recall, what, three times that night, I believe?"

"Well, that's true," he conceded. Then, more serious, he added softly, "I can't get enough of you."

"Good," I replied, smirking. "Better stay that way, too."

He sat up and gave me a lingering kiss. The travel book hadn't been wrong; Winteralpen and the surrounding areas were so quiet, the only sounds were the clang of cowbells and distant waterfalls across the valley. The jubilant din of the kids flying above us were the sole noises otherwise. It was heaven. Heaven with the predominant scent of cow dung.

"I love you, Sirius," I said, kissing him once more. "You make me so incredibly happy."

He moved closer to me. "I love you, Laura. Likewise."

"I'd like to have you inside me right now," I added softly.

"Wanting more?" he asked, shooting me a wicked grin. I nodded emphatically. "Well, just as soon as they - " he gestured up at the sky, " - go to bed tonight, I'll take you up on it."

Harry and James flew and practiced Quidditch moves for quite a while longer, leaving me and Sirius to ourselves. Sirius had added a few more names on his list as possibilities. Evan, from Lily's maiden name, John, for Remus, and Brian, which was my idea and one of Dumbledore's many names, I'd discovered somewhere along the way. And of course the ever present Livia, even though Sirius had dismissed the idea of having a girl by now. I yawned and sat up tall to stretch.

"Want to lay your head down?" Sirius asked me.

"Mmmm. Yeah." He sat up as I laid down, my head in his lap. I looked skyward, still watching the kids flying around. Reluctantly I admitted to myself that Harry was probably a great help in improving James' skills on a broom, and might increase his odds in making a spot on the Quidditch team.

"When is this World Cup?" I asked Sirius.

"Last week of August," he replied, stroking my hair. "We'll only be gone a few days, though. I hate to leave you," he added.

I plucked a piece of clover and chewed on it. "I'll be alright ... and you'll have a good time. So don't worry."

He put a hand on my belly. "Ready to move on to Italy tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah. I could probably live there." I smiled at the memory of my last trip to the Cinque Terre, and was reminded of all my one-sided correspondence in the years Sirius was gone. "Writing you letters about what James and I were doing kept me sane, ironic as that may sound." I was thinking back to the notes I would write randomly and throw in mailboxes wherever I happened to be. "I saw a therapist for a while after you were gone. Then I realized that writing to you was turning out to be much more effective, and practically free, unlike the therapist. So I ditched him."

"What exactly _is_ a therapist?" Sirius asked. "Like a muggle doctor?"

"Yeah, only they specialize in, uh, mental health, I suppose you'd say. I was strongly, uh, _encouraged_ to see one after I was released from that place. I did for a while, but by then I realized I couldn't talk about wizards without being thought a total nutter, which rather defeated the point of why I was upset. I didn't bother for too long after that."

"We will not be separated ever again, I promise," he said, holding my hand and squeezing it fiercely. We sat, looking out over the valley for several more minutes, until James and Harry finally descended, along with a few other kids. They were all sweaty and smiling from the exertion. The others drifted off, leaving only our two.

"Mum! When is dinner?" James threw himself down on the ground and nudged his shoes off.

"Whenever you get ready, I suppose," I answered. He looked curiously at me with my head in Sirius' lap, and I felt immediately self conscious. I heaved myself up into a sitting position. "Back to the usual place for dinner? That okay with you, Harry?"

I got the impression that anything would be alright with Harry, who seemed not to have a care in the world. We must be like a dream come true compared to what he was used to while away from Hogwarts. "Oh, yeah!" he assured me, and I smiled at him. Out of nowhere, tears came to my eyes at seeing such a sweet mixture of James and Lily in his face. Stupid pregnancy hormones, I thought disgustedly. I looked away before anyone saw me.

Sirius stood and helped me up. "Let's go clean up first," he said cheerfully, "then we'll get something to eat."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

That evening, Sirius and Harry sat outside for a while, talking. James and I stayed in, packing our things to leave for Italy the next day.

"Are you sure you'd rather celebrate your birthday in Italy?" I asked him. "The Museum of Quidditch sounds like it would be right up your alley."

He shrugged. "Nah. Maybe next year. Something with just you and Dad ... and Harry ... would be as good. Harry might want to do something there, though."

I noticed how he had hesitated before mentioning Harry, and thought this would be a good time to bring up some things.

"James, how are you adjusting with your dad? Everything okay there?"

He continued to stuff some clothes in a bag. "Yeah, fine. He's a cool bloke."

Sometimes I wished James would be a bit more wordy. Getting information out of him was sometimes very frustrating, and this was one of those times.

"How about Harry? The two of you getting along?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

I continued. "I mean, I hope you're okay with him coming with us. It's just that ... well, he's apparently never done any fun family stuff. Other than the odd thing with his friends once in a blue moon. I guess I just worry that it might all be a bit much for you, just beginning a relationship with Si - your dad. So, you know, if it is, talk to one of us, alright?"

"I'm fine, Mum," he said exasperatedly, looking up at me.

"Good!" I answered, giving up on mother-son bonding. "Ready for some gelato?"

"Oh, yeah," he answered.

"One more thing, James," I said.

"What?"

"You haven't said much about the baby. Not that you have to or anything. I just, well, I want you to know I love you very much. So does your dad. The baby won't change that, ever." I walked over to him and planted a kiss on his head. "_You're_ still my baby," I whispered, grinning at him. He rolled his eyes and pretended to wipe the kiss off. "And you're just rubbing it in when you do that," I reminded him, smirking at the movement. It was an old joke.

"Love you too, Mum," he said absently as he finished cramming the last of his wrinkled clothes into the bag.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A few days later I stood on the tiny balcony of a house we were renting in Vernazza. The weather was unrelentingly hot and we had no air conditioning whatsoever. The guys didn't seem to mind, but with my constant surge in progesterone, I stayed warmer all the time, no matter what the weather. This heat wasn't helping me at all. So I spent much of my time out of doors where there was usually a breeze off the ocean. Just now, though, I looked down at the peaceful scene below me. Winding _carugi_ down below in back of the house we rented and a few lemon trees in the tiny courtyard were part of the aura of this place that made me feel I _could_ live here forever, if learning to speak Italian weren't such a headache. I had no gift for languages, other than saying "La dolce far niente," which was a common phrase around here. _The sweetness of doing nothing_. Fortunately Sirius picked up on some key words and sentences with ease, and if he didn't know how to communicate something, flirting with the elderly female shopkeepers bridged the gap, so to speak. Some of the little old ladies who waited on us beamed at him whenever he spoke broken Italian, and would correct him patiently.

I managed to walk the trails a little bit, though I had no desire to do anything too strenuous. The Manarola to Corniglia footpath was fairly easy and level, though to our horror, some unfortunate woman had fallen off while we were there and died. They closed it temporarily after that. Which left the Via dell Amore, between Riomaggiore and Manarola, as the one other trail I felt like attempting. Most of it was through a tunnel and coated in graffiti and random artwork. Sirius and I had left the boys to their own devices one evening and set off on this little walk, bound for a tiny restaurant in Manarola that had been recommended by a villager.

"Now, we're stocking up on wine," I warned Sirius. "I plan on having plenty of this stuff after the baby's born."

"Done. I've already sent some back."

"Well, send back more," I said, grinning sideways at him. "I can't get enough of Cinque Terre wine."

We stopped to look out over the ocean. The sun was setting and the golden light reflected off my husband's face as he watched the sea, making him glow.

"You look positively radioactive," I said, snickering. "Let me take a picture."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to catch me in the loo to take one, the way you snap the piccies." But he posed obligingly for me. "Your turn," he said firmly.

I reluctantly moved to the same spot and stood with my usual expression. "Oh, smile, darling. Lighten up!" he admonished.

"You'll have to make me laugh to get a good one. Otherwise they look ridiculous," I said through gritted teeth in my attempt at a smile.

"Alright." He sighed. "A wizard, a hag and a troll walk into a bar ..."

"Oh, never mind. That joke is_ so_ not funny."

"You've never heard the x-rated version, have you?" he responded, snapping the picture just as I rolled my eyes.

Now I laughed. "No! Take it again, quick!"

He did as I asked, then lowered the camera. "Ready to go now?" Just then a couple holding hands walked by, and stopped in front of us.

"Would you like me to take one of both of you?" the woman asked in an American accent.

"Oh, please do! Thanks," I said. Sirius and I assumed the pose again after he handed her the camera. He put his arm around me.

"Just push halfway down," I instructed, "until it focuses. Then all the way."

The woman's husband made a goofy face, causing us to smile as his wife took the picture. "There!" she said, handing it back to us.

"Thanks so much," I said again.

"Are you from England?" she asked.

"I am," Sirius responded. "Though my wife is American."

She appeared interested. "I wouldn't have known. You have an English accent."

"Oh, well, I've lived there for years," I said.

"Where are you from originally?" the husband asked me.

"Eastern Tennessee," I answered, not getting into specifics. Nobody had ever heard of my hometown, so I never bothered sharing it.

"Oh! Knoxville? Chattanooga?" the woman asked.

"No, but fairly close. I was a Vol at one time, though I never went to school there." I smiled as I thought of the university there and its rabid fans in orange and white. "How about you?"

"Northern Virginia. Close to D.C." the husband replied.

"Oh, nice place to live, I'm sure."

"Yeah, it's ridiculously expensive, but we love it." The woman chuckled with as she said it. "Well, we'll be going. Nice to meet you all!"

"Thanks," Sirius called after them. The man waved back at us as they walked off.

We walked in the opposite direction, toward Manarola and the restaurant.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

By the end of our time in Italy, nobody really wanted to go back home. We had made a nice little birthday celebration for James, after taking a day trip to Doria, the wizarding town close by. It was very touristy and prices were high, but we didn't mind splurging. Especially me, since I found most wizarding objects intriguing anyway. Seeing souvenirs and artifacts with an Italian bent made them all the more interesting. I bought several nice things for the house, while Sirius picked out a good broom upgrade for James, who was mightily impressed. The latest Italian model, called a _Veloce_ something-or-other, was rivaled only by Harry's previous Christmas gift from his godfather, and was guaranteed to make a positive impression during Quidditch tryouts. James thanked him profusely, though Sirius reminded him kindly that it was from both of us. Harry bought James some top-of-the-line gloves, then looked around for things to take home to his friends as souvenirs. When we were done, we had a rather large pile of things to send back ahead of us. Looking at it all, I was thankful to have such an experienced wizard as Sirius in the household, who didn't mind taking care of those kinds of chores.

Left only with a few daybags to carry, we traipsed to the local train station, bound for Pisa. After spending a few hours there, we would go to the airport and fly back to London. Pisa was interesting, and a nice city. Graffiti was everywhere, though, I noticed. We walked to the Leaning Tower and wandered around it. Sirius smugly maintained that any good group of wizards could fix its problem, and laughed when he read some of the Muggle attempts to right the tower over the years. After spending some time in that area, we had lunch and headed for the airport, and then finally home.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

That night, I lay in my husband's arms after making love. I remembered my trip to Italy some years back with James and, though it had been wonderful in its own way, it couldn't compare to having all of us together. And I never could have imagined being able to include Harry, which made it even better. I sent a mental thought up to James and Lily, wherever they might be now, reminding them how proud they should be. The notion made my eyes tear up once more, and Sirius noticed.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, feeling the wetness on his chest.

"Oh, nothing. I just cry at anything these days. I was thinking of Harry's parents, and that it's just amazing what a sweet kid he is, despite everything."

"I know," Sirius said softly. "So is James. You've been such a wonderful mother to him."

"Oh, stop. You're really going to make me cry," I said, sniffling. "When I think of all those years, though ..." I didn't finish the sentence.

"Well, Voldemort's very weak, if he's still around at all. Things won't be like that again for our world. I hope," he added somberly.

We said no more, but eventually drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I awoke very early. I rose to make some coffee, and opened the front door to pick up the papers. The _Prophet_ and the _Times_ were both on the step as usual. Tucking them under my arm, I closed the door and went back into the kitchen. Sirius was in there now, clad only in a pair of jeans. He came up and put his arms around me as I set the papers down. After a nice long kiss, he pulled away to grab a few cups for our coffee. We sat down, me with the _Times_ and him reading the _Prophet_ as was our morning ritual. After perusing the front page for mere seconds, he snorted in disgust and put his head down on the table, banging it noisily in exasperation.

"What on earth is it? Must be a lot more interesting than what I'm reading. Let me see!" He sat back up, looking at me without speaking, then handed me the paper. I quickly looked down at it to see the headline on the front page.

_PETER PETTIGREW ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN_

"You have got to be effing kidding me," I immediately said in disbelief.

"Did I predict this, or did I predict it?" Sirius said, clearly outraged. "Damn ministry ... what a bunch of useless _fools_."

"Well, he could be anywhere. They'll never find him," I commented, stating the obvious.

"You know what this means."

"What?" I asked.

"He's gone looking for Voldemort. I'd wager anything on it."


	38. What Happens at the World Cup

**"What Happens at the World Cup ..."**

_Sirius_

It was six o'clock, on the morning of 26 August, and Sirius stood alone in the lounge of his house on the outskirts of London. He was bone tired from the events of the previous night, and looked forward only to a warm bed in which to catch up on sleep. Though he felt filthy from mucking about in the forest in the middle of the night, he shrugged off the thought of a shower, deciding that cleaning the sheets later would be a more palatable option. He trod carefully across the wood floor and winced as a loud creak emanated under his foot. There was something he desperately needed to check on before his wife awoke. Opening the front door, he peered out in the dim morning light to see the wizard and muggle papers side by side, as usual, on the front step. Picking them both up, he hurriedly closed the door back and crept into the kitchen. He used a dim _lumos_ charm on his wand as the only source of light and opened up the paper.

The _Daily Prophet_, once unrolled, was predictable in its choice of front page headline:

_SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP_

Well, _that _was for certain, Sirius thought as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. For the first time since Voldemort's downfall, a crowd of Death Eaters had made a public appearance designed to frighten the daylights out of World Cup attendees. It had worked, too. They had terrorized an unfortunate family of muggles while everyone watched helplessly. In addition, they had conjured the Dark Mark, which summoned so many horrifying memories for Sirius when he saw it glittering in the sky that he had to strongly resist the urge to flee on the spot. Flashbacks had begun to play repeatedly in his mind; James and Lily's deaths, an explosion on the streets of London, the cold dank stench of Azkaban, rotting dementors, and the face of a certain Ministry official. For in his frantic desire to protect Harry and James during the melee, Sirius himself had come, rather drunkenly, face to face with the man responsible for sending him to Azkaban thirteen years prior: Barty Crouch, Senior.

Sirius had prepared himself earlier for an encounter with Crouch, of course. Once they sat down in their box and Harry had begun to chat with a tiny house elf behind them, he discovered with a jolt that the elderly Ministry official was the master she was saving a seat for. He sat anxiously for quite some time, unable to enjoy the match and wondering what he might do upon seeing the old man in person. But Crouch never showed, and now Sirius, immensely relieved, accepted an invitation to hang out with Charlie and Bill Weasley for a few firewhiskeys. James and Harry had already gone to the Weasley tent not long after the match was finished, but several thousand Ireland supporters were in full reveling mode. Sirius and his two new mates joined in and within the hour, had consumed rather _more_ than a few firewhiskies.

Then the evening had abruptly taken a turn for the worse with the appearance of the Dark Mark and the resulting chaos. By the time things with Crouch and Harry had been resolved, it was very early in the morning. Sirius staggered, in between drunkenness and exhaustion, to the Weasley tent to sleep, but sleep never came to him. As he tossed and turned, he couldn't get the disturbing images out of his mind. But now one image in particular wouldn't leave him. It was so ridiculous, he thought in disgust, that he still couldn't believe it had actually happened.

Yet here he was, hours later, furtively looking through the _Prophet _and feeling like a child. He flipped through several pages of World Cup news, growing more relieved with each one he turned. Then he got to the last page, scanning each picture in hopes that his wouldn't be one of them. But it was.

The caption read: _Sirius Black chats up the beautiful Georgieva Petrova at a party after the Bulgaria-Ireland Quidditch Match. _The caption _was_ read out loud. In Rita Skeeter's oily voice. She actually snickered as she uttered the word "chats." Horrified, he couldn't stop himself from listening to Skeeter's cloying commentary, which was full of her usual innuendo and referred to Sirius as Britain's newest celebrity in the wizarding world, whatever the hell _that_ was supposed to mean. The picture moved for several seconds. Though he never quite kissed her, their faces drew ever closer with Sirius appearing absolutely entranced. The woman in the picture, whose hair was a sheet of the whitest blonde and absolutely gleamed, gave a tinkly laugh and spoke with a heavy accent as he brushed a few strands tenderly out of her face for her and gushed like a schoolboy, telling her several things which, as he listened now, were unbelievingly embarrassing.

Sirius groaned softly, wondering exactly how merciful, or maybe _unmerciful_, Laura was likely to be, if she saw this. He quickly considered his options. Option one. Be completely honest and accept any fall-out. Option two. Throw the paper away and hope the subject was never brought up by anyone else. Not bloody likely. Option three? He couldn't think of an option three.

He rolled the paper up once more and stuffed it into his back pocket for the time being, then stole quietly into their bedroom. The door's hinge creaked slightly as he pushed it open and looked in. He could hear the sound of deep breathing indicating that Laura was still asleep. Backing out, he returned quietly into the kitchen to make breakfast. He was starving.

He sipped tea in silence and munched on toast. _Surely_ Laura would understand once he explained things. This thought didn't provide any respite from his worrying, though. He finished his toast and used his wand to clean the plate, putting it back in a stack in the cabinet. As he closed the cabinet door, he heard a soft knock at the front door. Wondering if perhaps it was Arthur Weasley bringing James home, he walked quickly to answer it. When he opened it, he saw Remus standing there, looking surprised at Sirius' appearance.

"Remus," Sirius exclaimed in a low voice.

"Sirius," Remus replied. "I hadn't expected you home at this hour. I was, um, here to speak with Laura. I know it's awfully early." He held a folded newspaper in one hand and his wand in the other.

"Well," Sirius began, eyeing the newspaper warily, "I felt it was best to return quickly. I had a feeling there might be something ..." He pointed miserably at the one Remus was holding.

"Padfoot. You, my friend, are in some trouble," Remus said reprovingly, shaking the paper at Sirius. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Care to explain?" He couldn't help but smirk slightly. He already guessed what had happened.

Sirius looked in the direction of the hallway. "Let's go outside," he said softly.

They walked out and Sirius closed the door behind him.

"Veela, right?" Remus didn't waste any time. "I almost snorted tea through my nose when I saw that picture. So you think you're fifteen again, huh?" He tried not to laugh at Sirius' tortured expression.

"Oh please, Remus, many things happened last night which were much more important than that! So what are you doing here, if you didn't expect me to be home?"

Remus smiled slightly. "Just a bit of damage control. I assumed Laura would see _this_ before you arrived and have no idea what a Veela was. I didn't want her to worry."

Sirius grimaced. "That was nice of you. I've been wondering exactly how to bring it up myself. No bright ideas are presenting themselves, however."

"How about the truth? Nothing happened, am I right?"

"Of _course_ not. I was with a couple of the Weasley boys, celebrating. We just happened to stumble into the midst of a crowd of Bulgarians. I turned around, and there she was. She caught me off guard, Remus, and some stupid _Prophet_ photographer got a damn picture of me coming on to the silly creature before I could regain control of myself. Saw Barty Crouch last night, as well," he added flatly.

"_Crouch_? Face to face?"

"Yes. Bloody old codger sacked his house elf for disobedience. Everyone thought she'd conjured the Dark Mark."

"A house elf??" Remus was disbelieving. "What house elf would know how to do that?"

"None, I should think. He sacked her anyway, even after it was obvious she hadn't done it. But Crouch and I didn't have much to say to each other, though I was sorely tempted to lob a curse his way. Probably would have gotten thrown back in Azkaban for my trouble, though." He sighed in irritation. "He was surprised to see _me_, I can tell you."

Remus changed the subject. "So did James come back with you?"

"No, he's at the Weasleys' for now. They're supposed to bring him home later today. Harry's going to stay with them a few more days, until school starts."

Remus nodded slightly. "Well, I must be going. I, er, hope Laura doesn't take the news too harshly. You'll never live this down, you know." With a lopsided grin, he held his wand up. "Mind if I come back inside to apparate?"

"Oh, yeah ... and thanks for the vote of confidence," Sirius answered sardonically. He opened the door, and Remus followed him back inside.

"Good luck, Sirius," he said, before dissolving into the air.

Sirius stood after him for a moment, then went into the kitchen once more. He sat back down at the table, trying to imagine how Laura might react. After several minutes, he heard the bedroom door creak open and the sound of footsteps padding down the hallway. Laura shuffled sleepily into the kitchen, stopping suddenly upon seeing Sirius sitting there.

"Oh! You scared me. I wasn't expecting you back this early. Where's James?" She walked over and leaned down to kiss him.

"James is at the Weasleys' house for now. He should be back later today."

"Mmmm." Ignoring the tea, she began to make brew coffee. "So how was it?" she asked, yawning.

Sirius contemplated how to answer this. "Interesting," he replied slowly. "Some nasty things happened."

She was immediately more alert. "What do you mean? Are James and Harry okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Death Eaters are back, though, at least out in the open. Things rapidly deteriorated after they appeared."

"Oh my God! Is it in today's paper?"

He paused. "I, er, suppose so." He thought of the paper rolled up in his back pocket. "Haven't looked yet."

"I'll go get it," she suggested.

"No-" Sirius began. Laura turned around.

"What?"

"Well, I've – I've already picked them up."

She looked confused. "Oh. Well, let's see it, then."

"Well, the thing is, uh ..." Damn, how would he explain this? "I want to tell you something first."

Now Laura looked suspicious. "Something _did_ happen to you! Are you sure the kids are alright?"

"We're all fine, I promise. It's something else. Not related to Death Eaters."

She sat next to him. "What is it?"

"Do you know what a veela is?"

Laura thought. "No. Can't say I've heard of it."

"Well. At the match, it was Bulgaria against Ireland. They each brought, uh, team mascots."

"So a veela is some kind of animal?"

"No. The Irish had leprechauns, and the Bulgarians brought veela. You're familiar with leprechauns, I'm sure?"

"Like the little guy on the Lucky Charms cereal box?" She looked amused. "I guess you're going to tell me they really exist."

"Well, they do." Sirius felt suddenly defensive. "Sorry if that sounds so unbelievable to you."

"I was just _joking_, honey. So, leprechauns exist. Now, what's a veela?"

He tried to think of a way to describe them that wasn't so ... complimentary. "Veela are like fairies, I suppose. They have this _aura_, I guess you'd say, and men tend to act very silly around them. To impress them."

She was growing more contemplative. "What do they look like, that men can't resist them?" She couldn't quite keep the humor out of her voice.

Sirius tried to stick only to the facts. "White-blond hair, long and straight. They're tall and slender. They dance."

"Ah. Is that what ropes the guys in?"

"Well, no, just their presence, really. It must sound really silly to you." He felt even more embarrassed.

Laura shrugged. "I don't know why I'm surprised by anything to do with wizards anymore. Certainly the most intriguing bunch of people I've ever met." She finished her cup and rose to pour more. "Coffee?"

"No thanks," Sirius replied, glancing at her belly. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright. My nose is still stuffed up from the pregnancy. It's driving me crazy." She noticed something. "Is that the paper in your back pocket?"

"Oh. Yes." He felt around and reluctantly pulled it out, though still holding on to it protectively.

She looked suspiciously at him. "Well, may I see it?"

"Let me explain something first. We, um, ran into one last night."

She laughed heartily. "What, a veela? Oh Lord. She didn't get James, did she? That must have been something. Was she gentle with him?" He didn't smile.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius. What's the matter? Let me see the paper. Are there incriminating photos or something?"

He sat, stony-faced and immobile. "No, she didn't get James," he muttered. He held on to the paper, but Laura was too quick. She snatched it from his hand and unrolled it.

"Oh my," she said softly, momentarily distracted as she read the front page headline about the World Cup tragedy. Sirius watched her. "That's horrible," she added, then continued to read, noticing a picture of Barty Crouch, Sr. at the bottom. She stared at it for a moment. Then, flipping to the next page, she skimmed it for anything noteworthy. Then as he sat, feeling miserable and helpless, she made it to the last page. Her eyes scanned each picture as the sound of Rita Skeeter's slick voice accompanied them. Finally, before she even got to the last one, they could both hear the words, "Sirius Black ..." and she looked down at it in surprise and then horror. She heard the veela's tinkly accented voice, laughing flirtatiously as her husband begged her to go away with him. The sound of someone behind him broke in. _"He's married! Take me instead!" _ And Sirius answering fervently, _"I'll get a divorce. It doesn't matter!" _as he moved in for a kiss. Then the picture paused and started over at the beginning.

After staring at it for a long time, Laura looked up at him. "Got _you_, huh?" she said quietly. She carefully folded it up once more and laid it on the table. Her face was white.

"Laura, I'm sorry. I'd had a few firewhiskies and we were in the middle of this big crowd, and when I turned around this veela was right there ... bloody stupid Rita Skeeter follows me around everywhere ...I mean, normally it wouldn't have affected me. You know I didn't mean _anything_ I said. That's just what happens when you get around one of those things! It was a miserable night. I wish I hadn't gone."

"I can see that," she said implacably, watching him. "You looked _really_ miserable in the photo." She continued to sit, now with her arms crossed.

"Now _just_ a minute! I told you why it looks that way! Not only did I get my picture snapped with some Bulgarian tart in a silly moment of weakness for every wizard in Britain to see _and_ laugh at, I had the pleasure of coming face to face with the man who personally sent me to Azkaban, because _somebody_ used Harry's wand to conjure a dark mark! I repeat, Laura, I was not _exactly_ having a good time!" He glared at her, feeling plenty of righteous anger.

"Sorry to hear that," she finally said. "I'm going to take a shower." She rose to walk out of the room, then suddenly whirled around. "You know, I feel like an enormous fucking cow these days as it is. Thanks so much for your_ kind _words about me_,_" Laura said coldly. She turned back and left the kitchen without a backward glance. Sirius watched her go, clenching his fists in anger.


	39. Fur, Loss of Limb,and Payback Threatened

"So how are things, Sirius?" Arthur Weasley shot him a sympathetic look as they stood outside the Black home that evening. "Bill and Charlie told me what happened. After I saw it in the paper, of course." He chuckled at Sirius' dark expression and patted his back. "That bad, huh?" He looked admiringly at the black Corvette and gleaming silver motorcycle that sat in the drive.

"All that and more," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. He looked around to make sure they weren't being overheard. "What was I supposed to do? I _said_ I was sorry! But she sobbed most of the day, nonstop. I've never seen Laura be so, well, _silly_ about something!"

Arthur laughed. "She's what? Seven months gone? I'm amazed she's held out this long! Sirius, I know this is the first baby where you've been together, so I'll give you a bit of advice, if you don't mind. Molly's been through this six times, and I'd consider myself an expert by now. We had a kitten to die when Molly was pregnant with Fred and George. I thought she'd never stop crying. Moped around in tears for three days straight! Then anytime she heard our other cat meowing she'd start up all over again. Women are just very irrational when they're carrying a child, believe me."

Sirius snorted. "Well, it wouldn't kill her to listen to my side, would it? I'm not exactly happy about what happened either!" Seething once more, he gritted his teeth and asked, "So, did Molly ever _curse_ you when she was pregnant?"

"Curse me? Dear Lord, I don't remember her ever saying anything _that_ nasty. I tended to get the silent treatment when she was angry."

"No. With her _wand_, I mean," he said viciously. "Because my lovely wife did that to me after she finally stopped crying."

"Oh my! What on earth did she use?" Arthur sounded rather awestruck.

"Well, let me see. First, the little coward hides my wand as I'm taking a shower. Then she walks in on me before I can put my clothes on and hits me with a fur spell. So now I'm all covered in black fur."

"Blimey!" Arthur exclaimed under his breath.

"Then, apparently she needs a bit of help, so she pulls out her Pocket Guide to Hexes and begins experimenting. When I try to take her wand away, I get the Petrificus Totalus. So now I can't move. Next thing I know, bat bogies are flying out of my nose and not only am I furry but I'm slimy as well."

"Good Lord! Was that all?"

"Oh, no. Then she flips a few pages and finds the densaugeo hex, and my teeth start growing like mad. Meanwhile, she's finding it _all _very amusing, and adds the twitchy ears hex for good measure. Then as the grand finale, she leaves me like this, teeth now down to the floor, and shoots a colloportus spell at the door as she leaves so there's no way for me to get out, since I have no idea what the nasty little witch did with my wand. But before she does this, she turns around and says, 'Well, I reckon we're even now', calm as you please, like she's talking about the weather."

Arthur was now trying desperately not to laugh. "So, how did you manage to get, er, back to normal?" he asked, his mouth twitching as he spoke.

Sirius glared at him. "Well, she wasn't _completely_ evil. She had hidden my wand in the bottom of my sock drawer. Which took me forever to find, given that, and I forgot to mention _this_ gem, she performed a finger-removing jinx on my right hand. So now I'm having to hunt for the damn wand cack-handed on top of everything else, once the body-bind curse wore off. After close to an hour like this, I managed to reverse all the other spells that hadn't already worn off, though it took much longer using my left hand."

Arthur now openly laughed. "Bit salty, isn't she? No, I have to say Molly never tried anything like that, though she probably wanted to a few times. Luckily for me."

"Bit salty?? Oh, I'll get her back. I've already warned her."

"Sirius, not a pregnant woman!"

"Oh, no. It'll be after the baby's born. Then I'll make sure we're really 'even.' At least she's speaking to me now. You'd never know anything had ever happened. Once I came out of the bedroom, she peeked in and said, 'Could you be a dear, Sirius, and use a cleaning charm to get up all that slime and fur?' "

Arthur laughed once more. "Well, someday, Sirius, I'm sure you'll see some humor in this. Though not now, of course," he added hastily at the other man's glare.

"I'll see the humor in it after I've given a bit of _that _back to her," Sirius replied acidly.

Just then, James and Harry came out of the house, followed closely by Fred, George and Ron, then Laura and Molly Weasley. Arthur couldn't help but smile upon seeing Laura. She appeared serene and triumphant.

"Arthur, how are you?" she asked cordially.

"Very well, Laura. I must say, I adore your automobile."

"Oh, thanks. You're welcome to go for a spin in it."

He looked longingly at the car. "I'd love to! But perhaps next time ... Molly's got supper on, though Percy's supposed to be looking after it. Not much of a cook, though, Percy. So we'd best be heading home to make sure it's still in one piece, as it were. Coming with us, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. His trunk remained inside. Arthur was to send it on to the Burrow before they apparated back there. "Laura, thanks so much for everything. I had a great time," he said, turning to her and hugging her.

"We love you, Harry," Laura answered and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Hope to see you again soon!"

"Same here. Bye Sirius, James," Harry answered, hugging Sirius now. After the Weasleys said their goodbyes, they traipsed back into the house to apparate to the Burrow. Sirius wondered briefly what their neighbors made of this, if they were watching. Probably thought the Black family was as strange as the villagers of Hogsmeade had thought of Laura.

James remained behind, however. Sirius noticed he didn't seem to be angry with him, but he did watch his mother closely, perhaps for any sign of being upset. Laura had practiced more with "One Minute Meals," and dinner was on the table soon enough. They ate mostly in silence. Sirius was still rather ill with his wife and dispensed only one-word answers when asked anything. Laura sat chatting with James about the World Cup as they ate, and didn't seem to notice his mood. Soon, though, James brought up a curious, and possibly dangerous, subject.

"Well, my favorite thing were the team mascots," he said as he bit into a dinner roll. Sirius looked away, and Laura observed James warily for his next pronouncement.

When James didn't follow up, Laura finally asked in a casual tone, "And why is that?"

"The Irish had these leprechauns. You should've seen 'em, Mum. They formed this huge glittery shamrock in the sky, then all of a sudden, gold started showering down on us. So we were going crazy trying to grab as much as we could. But then it disappeared by the end of the match! Leprechaun gold! It was amazing. But they couldn't compare to the Veela."

"I'm already familiar with them," Laura said shortly. She looked at Sirius, who was now reading the _Times_ and pretending not to listen.

"You'd just have to be there to understand," James continued. "They came out before the match and started this dance. I didn't notice 'em at first; I was using my omnioculars on something else. Then I saw Harry and Ron trying to leap out of the box to get to them, saying all this crazy stuff. Then_ I _saw the veela. They started dancing faster and faster. Dad and Mr. Weasley had to hold me back before I jumped out, too. What was it I was saying?" He looked at Sirius, grinning. "Oh yeah, I was the youngest student at Hogwarts to get my OWLs, and I was going to be Quidditch team captain next year. Already picked!" He grinned broadly. "But you should have seen the referee, that Egyptian guy. _He_ started watching them, and lost track of the match. Started flexing his muscles and showing off for them. It was great. The match, I mean," he added.

By now, Sirius was looking at his son, realizing that, in his own way, he was attempting to defend his father. He felt much better now and more than a little vindicated.

"Well, James, I think you've talked more tonight than you have all summer," Laura remarked. She looked at Sirius, who glanced back at her to see her smile at him. Apparently James' little speech hadn't been lost on her, either. "I'm glad you had a good time," she added, turning back to their son.

He shoveled more food in his mouth and grunted in response. Laura and Sirius continued eating but didn't say anything to each other, though they both silently felt a truce may have been called.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Laura spent the evening using her wand to learn magical knitting. She looked to one side, reading the instruction book, as two knitting needles clicked slowly in an attempt to make a sock. Sirius sat on the other end of the sofa, flipping channels. Television had been one thing she and James agreed would be present in London, having been denied it for almost a year while in Hogsmeade. Sirius was slowly getting used to it and now couldn't get enough of some older shows. Laura looked up a few times to see what was happening on the screen, but kept losing her concentration, making the needles drop.

"Shit," she said when it happened for the third time. Sirius looked over at her.

"I have my wand now, if you'd like some help," he said. He couldn't resist a few subtle digs about what had happened earlier in the evening.

"No thanks," she said vaguely, looking down at the book once more. He looked at her belly, noticing a slight movement.

"Baby moving?" he asked.

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah. It does quite a bit now. Feels like it's turning flips sometimes." She didn't take her eyes off the book, except to check the position of the needles.

He tried something else. "Do you still think it could be a girl?"

Laura shrugged. "I don't know. Looked like one on the ultrasound screen, I guess." The needles clattered to the floor, and she cursed again. Sirius leaned down to pick them up for her.

"Still angry with me?" he asked.

"Have I turned you into anything else lately?"

"I have my wand now. You wouldn't dare."

"You sound so sure of that."

"Bit cocky now that you're doing more spells, aren't you?"

"Had lots of practice, particularly today."

"You know something?" Sirius asked. "That's one thing I've always liked about you."

"What? That I made you soft and furry with big teeth?"

He snorted. "No. That you're fun to talk to. The witty repartee reeled me in, way back when." He mimed that motion, copying _Wayne's World_.

"Where'd _that_ come from?" Laura asked with a snort.

"Just thought of it."

She closed the book. "Sirius. Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"We haven't exactly talked about the worst thing that happened to you at the match."

"I'm not sure I follow. I'd say that's been addressed _plenty_."

"No. I mean Barty Crouch, Senior. Was that really ... bad? Couldn't have been at all fun for you, I'd imagine. I mean, were you alright?"

Sirius looked at her and shrugged. "Wasn't fun, but could've been worse. I didn't care to speak to him, other than to defend Harry in front of Amos Diggory. Talking to Crouch would be a waste of time. No matter that I'm innocent, he'd only proclaim that he was doing his ministerial duty at the time. He'd never do something 'weak' like apologize for it." He stopped for a moment. "That's another thing I've always liked about you."

She raised her eyebrows. "Now I don't know what you mean."

"You're always concerned with my welfare. Nobody else has thought to ask me about seeing him."

"Ah. That's something no one else would really _think_ to ask, I suppose." She stretched, then stood up. "Well, I'm off to bed, I think. I'm really tired." She looked down at Sirius, not sure if she should try kissing him. After a moment, she decided against it and walked off, saying "Good night" as she went. Truce or no, things weren't completely back to normal between them.

" 'Night," he said softly after her as she walked down the hall.


	40. The Beginning of September

I stared at the ceiling in darkness for a few hours, hearing the distant sounds of the television through the closed bedroom door. I was tired, but couldn't sleep for thinking about the day's events. Certainly plenty had happened today. Seeing the Daily Prophet, with Sirius on the back page trying his best to kiss that woman, and my petty little revenge I had exacted earlier, gave me lots to ponder. I now felt quite a bit of guilt for the way I had treated him, since I was really angry more at circumstances than my husband, but couldn't help recalling my trivial satisfaction at the power I'd had over him to change his appearance. It was a cowardly thing to do, of course. I had made sure to hide his wand first, knowing I would never get away with it otherwise. Sirius had vowed to get back at me someday, and I certainly deserved it. But at the same time, I had to snicker at the way he had looked with teeth down to his knees and covered in fur. It had seemed harmless at the time, at least. On the other hand, he was barely speaking to me now.

My thoughts turned to James' return to Hogwarts in a few days. I would miss him dearly, but was also looking forward to having some time alone with Sirius before the baby was due. By now my stomach protruded quite a bit, and I was already sick of being pregnant. I still had over a month to go, though the healer thought I might have the baby earlier than I had originally thought. Which meant probably not before the second week of October. I thought of how enthusiastic Sirius was about this new baby. It surprised me, really, considering how many times over the past year his life had been turned completely upside down. Once in a while he displayed symptoms of post traumatic stress, mostly manifesting itself through nightmares, when he would wake up shaking and covered in sweat. And he was given to fits of melancholy at times after looking through old pictures of James and Lily. But other than that I was very happy at how well he seemed to handle being integrated into normal life once more.

Finally I realized there was silence from the other room. Sirius must have turned off the television. I gave a small sigh; I would have to apologize for what I had done sooner or later. May as well be when he came to bed. Shortly thereafter, the door creaked open and he walked softly into the room. I lay unmoving as he felt his way through the dark into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When he came back in the bedroom, I could hear him removing his clothes. Then he slid into bed under the covers next to me.

"Sirius?"

I heard him shift toward me. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I did to you."

I felt his body shake slightly, but whether with humor or anger, I couldn't tell.

"Oh, are you?"

"Yes. It was a horrible thing to do. Are you still angry with me?"

"Um ... well, no, I suppose not," he admitted. "I've hurled a few hexes before, myself. Granted, I was in the neighborhood of twelve years old, unlike you, who are ... what? Thirty-six?" This was said smugly.

"Now, are you really telling the truth there?"

"About your age? Don't try to shift the blame, love."

"Ha! Shifting the blame, am I? Anyway, I feel very bad about it. So am I forgiven?"

I felt his hand cover mine. "Yes. At least until after the baby's born. And then I will make you _very_ sorry."

"Oh, yeah, _that_. And what do you plan on doing?"

He put his lips to my ear and whispered a detailed description of a very delicious punishment, making me squirm with delight. When he was finished, he brushed my cheek with his mouth.

"You could just do that now, you know," I whispered back.

"No, part of your punishment is giving you something like that to think about as you contemplate what you did. And I wouldn't want to worry about hurting the baby." He did, however, give me a lingering kiss and nibbled on my lower lip.

"So we're good, for now, anyway?" I asked, teasing him.

"Yes. And I'm sorry for what happened, too." He scooted even nearer to me. "I missed you while I was gone."

"I missed you, too." My belly prohibited him from getting any closer. "I feel like a whale. I'll be so glad to get this baby out of me."

"You're lovely. And you're _not_ big. Only another month and a half to go."

"Yeah. What happens if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong. But it'd be very easy to get help if something did. I think you'll be more comfortable having it here at home."

"You'll be with me, won't you? I mean, you're not plan on scuttling off while I'm in labor, right?"

"Merlin's beard ... do you think I'd leave you? No, husbands are definitely allowed to be present, and I plan to be. Especially since I couldn't be at James' birth."

"Done thinking of names?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"I notice you didn't come up with any stars or constellations."

"Very observant. That tradition is over." He put his hand on my waist.

"Well, truthfully, your name is one of the few nice ones out there in the universe; no offense. The other family members you've talked about all sounded a bit silly."

He laughed and slid his hand under my camisole. I could feel its warmth on my belly. "Glad you like mine, at least. I notice you didn't recommend any from your family either."

"That's right. The few I got along with, like my grandmother, had names I'd never use. Y'know, like Gladys."

His hand moved steadily up until he took one of my breasts in his hand. "Feel like making love?" he asked as he kissed my shoulder. "This is the other thing I missed while I was gone."

"Yes," I murmured with satisfaction, and turned over to face him. He tugged on my top gently, and I helped him pull it off. "I see you have no clothes that need removing," I teased him as I touched his body lightly. He groaned softly when my fingers brushed his erect cock, and kissed me with a sudden fierceness.

"Oh God, I can't wait. Come here." He put his hands on my waist and guided me toward him. I climbed on top of him and giggled immediately.

"I'm not crushing you, am I?"

His voice sounded very strained and hoarse. "No, of course not," he groaned, as if I were killing him.

"Tosser. How about I just get off you and go to bed?"

"Oh, no, dear. Stay right where you are." He laughed and put his hands on my waist, guiding himself into me. We both immediately sighed with pleasure at the sensation, and began to make love with such urgency as if we hadn't been together in months instead of only days.

When we had finished, breathless and satiated, we kissed once more and, before long, fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. It was late morning the next day when we awoke.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A few days passed, and it came time to take James to Kings Cross to catch the Hogwarts Express. I tried desperately to keep my mind off his exit, knowing I would probably burst into tears soon enough. James was too excited about going back to pay any notice to me and a potential hormonal meltdown, and chattered with Sirius in the taxi about what his friends had been doing all summer. His dad, in the midst of reliving his school days, reminisced about the many train rides he had taken, and smiled at the memories of good times with James, Remus, and, he reluctantly admitted, Peter.

Finally we arrived at the station, and made our way to platform 9 ¾. After passing through the invisible barrier with James' belongings, we found Harry and said our goodbyes to him and his friends. Several heads swiveled around as people noticed Sirius. He ignored the attention, walking up to the Weasley family. Molly took me aside for a moment.

"Everything alright, dear?" She had a look of concern on her face, and I could tell she was referring to more than the pregnancy.

"Oh ... yeah. Fine. We made up," I said, smiling.

"Good, good. I was worried about you." She looked archly in Sirius' direction. "Now, you let me know if there's anything I can help with regarding the baby, alright? I'll be happy to stay with you afterward if you'd like."

"That's very sweet of you. I'm sure it will be a huge help."

We spoke a few more minutes, and then it was time for the kids to board. I hugged James hard, as he squirmed in embarrassment. Sirius gave him a quick hug, and then did the same to Harry. They both climbed on with their friends, with James not giving us another glance, predictably. Sirius put an arm around me for comfort, and I sniffled a bit when the train left, though mercifully not bursting into tears as I had been afraid I would.

"Ready to go shopping?" he asked me with resignation. We, or rather _I_, had decided to get out and purchase some things for the baby. Molly had told me of a place in Diagon Alley which was worth a look, so we planned to start there, working our way to muggle shops if nothing interesting was found in the first location. Then we would have lunch before returning home. We stood watching the train fade in the distance, then walked away slowly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"So, heard any more about Pettigrew?" I had been reminded of him when Sirius mentioned his name earlier. "Still at large, I presume?" I munched on a sandwich as we ate lunch in a department store.

He shrugged. "Yeah. Looking for Voldemort, most likely, if he hasn't found him already. The fool. I'm not sure Voldemort would take him back now, though. Not without punishing him for his failures. No, Peter will be long gone and the Ministry will never find him, knowing them."

"But are they even trying?" I wondered.

He smiled grimly. "Probably not too hard. They know he can turn into a rat, after all. Can't exactly round up all the rats out there, can they?" He shrugged and polished off the remainder of his food.

"Well, the _Prophet_ hasn't said much about the subject after that initial story, I noticed."

"Oh, no, they seem to print anything the Ministry tells them. Not a lot of rogue reporters in the place," Sirius said with a wry grin. He leaned back in his chair and waited on me to finish eating.

"Well, I have a suggestion, if you feel up to it," he said casually. "But if you're too tired, we can go back home."

"What is it?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well, for a number of years now, I have been the proud owner of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Otherwise known as the Black family home. Once dear Mum died, it passed into my hands. Fancy a look through that hellhole with me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Wow. I mean, I remember it and all. Haven't thought about it in years, though. Not since ..." I trailed off, thinking about events from years earlier.

"Well, it's not exactly habitable, I'm quite sure," he continued. "Probably in nasty shape, in fact. But I need to visit sooner or later and see what riches we may have amassed there." He had a glint of amusement in his eye with this pronouncement.

"Sounds interesting. I say we check it out." I was curious to see it for more than one reason.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

An hour later, we stood in front of Numbers 11 and 13, Grimmauld Place. I looked vainly for Number 12, as I had done once before years earlier, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Sirius, honey, where the hell _is_ this place?"

He turned to me. "Oh, it's here, alright." He lifted his wand out of his jacket, and waved it soundlessly. Suddenly there was a loud grating noise as Number twelve slowly showed itself. I watched in shock as another townhouse appeared in the space of a minute. Sirius looked triumphantly at me, apparently deciding I should be extremely impressed. He wasn't expecting to see me with frustrated tears gathering in my eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding exasperated.

I shook my head and didn't answer at first. He looked helplessly around the street at passersby, who couldn't see the same thing we did, with a look that said, _Help, crazy pregnant lady!_, and turned back to me.

"Tell me what's wrong, love," he repeated bracingly.

I looked back at Number twelve, seeing only a blur from my tears. "Only that I tried like hell to find this place after you disappeared. I was even going to speak to your hag of a mother, hoping she could tell me what had happened to you. But I couldn't find it." I was crying harder now. "I stood _right here_ and never saw it. I can't believe you have to use a damn _wand_ to see this place. She could've told me what they had done to you and I wouldn't have spent years not knowing."

Now he looked regretful, and put his arms around me, wrapping me tightly against himself. "God, I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't know you'd thought to look for it."

"One more reason I thought I was crazy, after you left. I remembered the address from that time we met your mother," I added, sniffling, "but then when I came back it was as if it never existed."

"Let's go inside," he said softly, after drying my eyes with a tissue he quickly conjured. We walked up the steps to the door, a large black door with a tarnished serpent for a doorknocker. Sirius paid it no mind as he opened the door. "I'll go first. Trust me, it's hard to tell what might be in here after all this time. Come to think of it, this has turned out to be a horrible idea," he muttered, more to himself than me.

"No, let's go in," I said. I had calmed down a bit after my initial shock.

The heavy door opened with a groan of protest. I stood back a little as Sirius walked on inside.  
"Crikey," I heard him say, his voice echoing through the hallway. "The place is absolutely filthy."

I finally peeked inside cautiously. He wasn't kidding. Layers upon layers of dust covered everything. Tiny animals scurried to hiding places upon hearing our entrance. I wasn't entirely sure it was mice, either. Sirius took his wand out once more, lighting the gas lamps hanging on the walls. An eerie glow was cast down the hallway. At the end was a large portrait in a gilt frame of a sleeping woman.

"Well," I couldn't resist saying, "people around here take the family name very, erm, seriously." I grinned at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah. The predominant colors around here are black, and more black, for certain." We inched down the hallway with me peeking over Sirius' shoulder as he brushed cobwebs away with his wand. We reached the portrait, where a horrid old woman snoozed away. Sirius' mother, I recalled with distaste. Her son turned to me just then and put a finger to my lips. Thinking he was attempting to be romantic in an extremely odd place, I shrugged and kissed it. He grinned widely and whispered in my ear, "Don't speak around here. Be very quiet."

We moved on past Mrs. Black, then a formal dining room, opting to take the stairs instead to proceed to the next floor. Once there, Sirius glanced around. "What are you looking for?" I whispered.

"Creature," was all he said. "I'd like to know if he still exists, or has been beheaded already." This cryptic comment was made with a snort and followed by, "Not much of a housekeeper these days, if he's still here."

"What kind of creature?" I asked nervously.

"Kreacher, with a 'K.' The family house elf."

"Huh. You guys had a house elf?" By now we had continued climbing stairs until we were at another floor, with two closed doors. Sirius turned the knob on one. It opened immediately and we looked inside. Another incredibly dusty room, though this one was filled with pictures of girls and motorcycles. Large Gryffindor pennants and banners in faded green decorated the walls, as well.

"Your room, I take it?" I smiled at him.

"Yes, it was. Thought you might like to see it, such as it is." He smiled back. One faded picture of Sirius as a teenager was pasted to the wall. I could see a very young James, Remus and Peter smiling back at me also.

"Nice picture." I couldn't remember seeing something from this era in quite a while, and found it intriguing.

"James, in his Quidditch uniform," he said fondly. "He was great. Harry's certainly following in his footsteps, isn't he?"

He turned to leave the room, and waited at the door for me. I continued to look at a few other pictures, though. One was leaning on a dresser and was a teenage Sirius holding hands with a girl. He grinned roguishly at the camera and kissed her. "Who's that?" I asked.

"Mmmm. Lucy Longbottom. Her brother was named Frank. He was tortured by my dear cousin Bellatrix back about the time I was sent to Azkaban. She wound up there just after I went. Bellatrix, that is. I've no idea what happened to Lucy, though. She was the love of my life. For approximately two months." He smiled again. "Then she got fed up with me spending so much time with my mates and broke up with me in a huff. We were no more after that." He sighed dramatically. "I was about fifteen in that picture."

"Well, you look very cute there," I said as I walked away from the dresser and followed him out of the room.

The other door had a nameplate on it with a typical teenage "keep out" message. _Regulus Arcturus Black_. "Well, and that's your brother, obviously. I remember that he died just before we met."

"Yeah, he did." He opened that door using his wand, but we only peered into what appeared to be another dust-filled room. This one was more orderly, and had shimmery green Slytherin banners. Seeing nothing noteworthy here, Sirius pulled the door shut and we turned to see, with shock, a small house elf eyeing us balefully.

Sirius gave it the same look back, and turned to me. "Kreacher," he said sarcastically.

The elf looked in my direction for the first time. "Filth. Mudblood." Surprised, I said nothing. Sirius looked as though he would like to kick the elf down the stairs, but didn't.

"You'll not call your new mistress that," he said with relish. Kreacher's huge eyes widened in horror as he looked back at me.

"Oh no! Not my mistress!! My mistress would never let filth like that in her home, oh no!" His voice raised a few decibels, and from down below, we heard a shriek, followed swiftly by shouting.

"Crikey, he woke her up! I was afraid that would happen. At least we're not standing right next to it. Kreacher ... apologize to my wife."

"Kreacher will do no such ..."

"Apologize! I'm your master now." Sirius ordered him fiercely.

As the portrait down on the main floor finally trailed off, Kreacher stood looking at Sirius with a mutinous expression. Finally, he looked down at the floor and muttered, "Kreacher apologizes."

"Good! Now, go away." With a crack, Kreacher obeyed his new master immediately.

"Well, had enough for today?" Sirius asked me apologetically.

I nodded. "I'm ready to leave." I sneezed heavily and the baby jumped in response.

We snuck back down the staircase and past the portrait of Mrs. Black. Only this time the old woman was awake and looking around suspiciously. Then she noticed us and pointed in accusation. "Filth!!! Shame of my fathers ..." she screeched, and we bolted for the front door.

Once safely outside, we stood back in front of Number 12 and watched as it shrank into nothingness again. "Let's go home," Sirius said, sighing, "and hopefully never return."

**A/N: If you're still following this story, thanks very much! I appreciate it. I hope it's not dragging at the moment. If you think so,though, I hope you'll stick with it as the action should pick up before long. Reviews/feedback are appreciated as always, by the way! **


	41. A Letter from Mum

"Letter for you, my dear," Sirius said. He was flipping through the muggle mail which had been dropped through the letter slot in the front door. He glanced at it briefly, then handed it to me. As I took it, I looked with interest at the airmail stamp. That, coupled with the vaguely familiar handwriting on the envelope, gave me a sneaking suspicion who had written to me. I opened it quickly and unfolded the paper inside as Sirius watched. It was dated about two weeks earlier.

_September 2, 1994_

_Dear Laura,_

_I am writing this for a few reasons. The first one being to tell you that your father died, a few months back, on July 25th. I thought you should know. He had a sudden heart attack and went quickly, so he didn't suffer, at least. In spite of all that's happened, I know he missed you and thought about you a lot. _

_I've wondered often about you and your life and have kept your letters and pictures. I would really like to meet my son-in-law and grandson. I assume you're still married. You haven't mentioned Sirius in a really long time. I hope everything's okay there. _

_I have some things from your grandmother also. I found them a while back but they didn't seem important at the time. Now I think they might be, though. I guess you should have them, regardless. _

_Well, what I'm getting at is, I want to visit, maybe for a couple of weeks. I would stay in a hotel. But I've never been to England and I'd like to see it, and you. Would that be okay with you? I may try to rent a car, or at least take a train to some places. Please call or write me when you can to let me know if I can see you. I've missed you._

_Love,_

_Mom_

I looked up at Sirius, who looked as though he was trying to decipher if I was going to start crying. "It's from my mother," I said in amazement. I had corresponded only minimally with her over the years.

"Your mother?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yup. My dad died," I replied softly. I wasn't sure what to think about that just yet. "She wants to visit," I added.

He put an arm around me. "I'm sorry," he said simply. "I didn't realize you had even communicated with your mother."

I shrugged. "Well, it would be a real stretch to say we've had any kind of relationship in the last several years. But I did write, very infrequently. James is their only grandson, and I sent a few pictures and updates as he grew. And of course I wrote to her after I'd married you." I handed him the letter to read, and he leaned up against the wall for a minute as he did.

"I guess I should call her," I said, "but I don't know what to do about James, unless she wants to wait until Christmas to see him."

Sirius shrugged now. "I suppose we could take him out of school for a few days, or over the weekend, depending on when she comes," he suggested. "Does she know you're pregnant?"

"Um, well, no. I haven't written since before I found you. I never told her you had gone missing to begin with. I wouldn't have known how to explain _that_. I can tell you one thing, though. I have no intention of hiding the fact that we're wizards. If she wants to see us, she can just deal with it. In fact, I'm telling her that up front when I talk to her."

He smiled at me. "Good idea, Laura. You've let that bother you for way too long in your lifetime." He kissed me on the forehead. Then he changed the subject. "Not to change the subject, though, you won't believe what Arthur Weasley is suggesting I do."

"What's that?" I asked.

"He thinks I should apply for a job in the Ministry."

I laughed. "You're kidding! You told him he was crazy, I suppose?"

"Well ... no. I told him I'd think about it."

"Really? I mean, you don't need to work. Do you think you'd want to be employed by the people who did all _that_ to you?" Obviously, I didn't need to explain what "that" meant. "And what would you do?"

"Well, any number of things, I suppose. But there's an opening in his department, restoring bewitched muggle artifacts. I know how to deal with that stuff. I have bewitched a few muggle artifacts in my time, after all." He winked slightly at me.

"But you really _want_ to?" I asked.

Sirius shrugged. "I'd like to feel useful. It'd be an interesting job, I think. And hopefully I'd be away from all the crap. But I dunno. I'll wait until after the baby's born to make any major decisions." And with that, he dropped the subject.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The weeks leading up to the baby's birth passed too slowly for me. As I grew even larger and more cumbersome, I couldn't wait for the event to take place and put me out of my misery. My healer in London, a brisk twenty-something woman named Sylvia Moss, came more frequently to the house for check-ups. She gave me the same predictable report each time; a healthy baby inside me, growing just as it was supposed to. Finally, on a day in mid October, I began having some tightening in my belly. They were too infrequent to bother timing, and not painful, so I assumed they were merely what the muggles called Braxton-Hicks contractions, or in other words, my body practicing for the real thing. Sirius hovered more closely around me by now, and Molly Weasley began to make regular visits as well, much to his annoyance, though I found her presence comforting. She was an expert at this, after all. I had meant to write to my mother before now, but never knew exactly what to say to her, thus continually putting it off. On this evening, though, I decided to bite the bullet and just call her. From my earlier years in the house, I still had a working telephone. Once the contractions had eased off a bit, I reluctantly picked it up and dialed the number that, over the years, I'd never forgotten. After it rang a few times, someone picked up.

"Hello?"

I paused with my mouth open. What could I say?

"Hello??" the voice repeated.

"Mum?" Oh, wait. "Er, Mom? It's me."

"Laura." There was a pause on her end as well. "How are you?" Her tone sounded warm enough, anyway.

"I'm fine, thanks. I got your letter."

"Oh. Well, I just wanted you to know about your dad." She sounded as awkward as I felt.

"Right. Are you doing okay? How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing fine. It's been a rough couple of months, but I'm a little better now."

"Ah. Good. Well, I have some things to tell you."

"Oh?" She sounded cautious.

"I'm pregnant. The baby's due any time."

My mother gasped. "Really? Well, I hadn't heard from you in forever. I didn't know."

"Well, there's been rather a lot going on around here in the last year. Long story. But James is doing well. He's gone to school."

She sounded confused. "Oh, well ... wait, wouldn't he be home now? What are you, five hours ahead?"

"No Mom. He goes away to school. In Scotland."

"Away?" She sounded incredulous. "You'd send a child to boarding school?"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, it's a very good school," I said, a bit harshly. "They train young wizards and witches."

There was silence. "Are you trying to be funny?"

I was defiant. "Nope. James is a wizard. I'm a witch. My husband, Sirius, is a wizard. This baby likely will be a wizard or witch. I am most definitely _not _joking. Still want to talk?"

More silence. Then, "Of course."

This surprised me, but I was slightly encouraged that she hadn't ended the conversation. We spoke for a few minutes about the rest of the family, and the goings-on in my hometown. It sounded as though not much had changed over the years.

She fell silent once more, and I began to wonder if the connection had been broken. But then I heard her voice, and it was quiet. "Your grandmother ... _my_ mother, was like you." Now it was my turn to be speechless. I knew exactly what she was talking about. "Laura, are you there?" she asked eventually.

"Yes," I answered faintly, trying to piece together this new development. "Are ... you?"

"No," she said in a flat tone. "Although Mother apparently had thought I would be."

I sighed heavily and sat down. "Why did you never tell me this?" I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and looked over to see Sirius, standing propped against the doorway, regarding me with concern.

"I didn't know for sure about _her_ until after her death. Mother never, uh, did anything, like magic, in front of me that I can remember. She died pretty quickly, as you know. Then I found in her safe deposit box where she had left me a letter telling me about herself. That she thought you were, but the two of you had never talked about it. She didn't want to scare you. How she had wondered why I wasn't. She knew I thought it was wrong to be that way. Well, your _dad_ really thought it was wrong. Sinful. He never knew about your grandma being, er, having those abilities. Only that you did."

"Yes, I remember," I replied crisply, still thinking about what she had just told me.

"He meant well, Laura -" she began in earnest, but I interrupted her.

"Meant well? Telling me I was headed straight for hell all that time, I suppose? Do you have any idea how that damaged me? It's why I left and never came back." I didn't care that this was the first phone conversation I'd had with the woman in years. She was getting a piece of my mind if she kept this up.

Mom had the good sense to change tack. "How on earth did you meet someone else like that? Your husband, I mean. Is there a place where they all hang out?"

I had to laugh at the question, though it was asked innocently enough. "Well, yes, there are places they 'hang out.' But it was unexpected, really, meeting Sirius. I stumbled into a place that I hadn't meant to go. We never would've met if I hadn't been a witch, as it turned out. So that made it all worth it. He's wonderful," I added obstinately, and Sirius passed by me, kissing my hair and giving me an encouraging smile as he went. He headed into the kitchen, and shortly thereafter I could hear the clanging of silverware and plates as he prepared something to eat.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," she conceded.

"So," I continued, "I noticed you want to visit. Does that still stand, knowing all this?"

"Would I be welcome?"

"Yes, of course, but I'll just tell you, we're not cutting out doing magic just because you're here. If that's going to bother you, well, then ..." I didn't finish the sentence.

She was silent once more, but apparently curiosity won out. "No. I really want to see you and give you these things. I want to meet your family, too."

"Okay then. Should I book you a room? When do you want to come?"

"Well, now that I know you're pregnant, maybe I could wait until the baby's born? You said you're due really soon, right? Unless you need me beforehand," she added hastily.

"No, I'm fine, thanks. It's supposedly a week at most, though the healer doesn't think I'll go that long. I hope not, anyway." I thought of my poor swollen ankles.

"Healer? Like a midwife?"

"Yes. It's a witch who practices healing," I answered. I felt a bit defiant, using the term _witch_ as often as possible. I wanted to be sure she had the idea lodged firmly in her head before making any expensive decisions about travel.

Then I remembered something she had said. "What did you have to give me from Grandma?"

"Oh, just some junk, looks to me like. Strange things, and probably useless. But maybe they'll be important to you after all. Maybe they have to do with ... that."

I thought of something else. "Did Grandpa know about her?"

She paused. "I don't know. She was very secretive about it, like I said. Maybe it's just more out in the open where you live. You'll have to tell me more when I come." Out in the open? I stifled a giggle.

We spoke a few more minutes, ironing out details. She promised to call me upon making more concrete plans, and at that point I, or Sirius in the event I was incapacitated, would reserve a hotel for her. Then we finally ended the call.

Once I had hung up, I thought more about her. She did seem enthusiastic about seeing us, and especially the children; I had to give her that. Maybe all those years earlier she had been under Dad's influence. But that annoyed me in its own way. Could the woman not think for herself? She could've stood up to him, for my sake. At the moment, I wasn't too interested in thinking about his death. Good riddance, I thought hatefully. Just then, Sirius tactfully reappeared.

"Everything go okay, love?" he asked, peering through the doorway. Bless him, the poor man was now used to my hormonal instability and knew exactly when to ask about my mood.

"Yeah. Better than I thought. She's coming to visit." I relayed the rest of the conversation to him. He wasn't too surprised about my grandmother.

"I always wondered if there was someone in your family like that. It's a bit more unusual to be the only one. Anyway, sounded like you held your own. Good for you!" he exclaimed. He looked down at my hand, with its fingers too swollen to wear my wedding rings for the past few months now. "You look tired. Want to rest?"

I nodded. Sirius motioned to the sofa, and sat down, letting me lay my head in his lap. Turning the television on, he stroked my hair with one hand and flipped channels with the other. His touch felt comforting and for some reason I was reminded just how strong he was.

We sat, like an old married couple, in relaxed silence, watching _As Time Goes By. _At some point, I drifted off to sleep, still feeling the warmth of his hand resting on my head. I had a dream, of sorts; mainly fragments that made no sense. Eventually I awoke to a different show. But something else had caused me to stir.

"Sirius?"

"Hmmm?" he asked, looking down at me.

"I feel-" in my sleepy haze I groped for the right word, "-kind of wet."

"Wet?" he asked, bewildered.

"Yes." Realization slowly dawned on me. "I think my water may have broken."


	42. This Woman's Work

**Rated 'M' for a birth (though not too graphic, at least IMO). However, you've been warned! ;-) And forgive the sap at the end. I just love that song. If you've never seen "She's Having a Baby", hearing this song makes the whole movie worth it. Edited to add: I removed the lyrics, as I'm not sure about legalities. **

"Merlin! Are you having contractions, love? How far apart are they? Can I get you a pillow?" Sirius' facial expression was a mixture of concern and growing panic.

I sat patiently through this, and when he took a breath, I said, "I'm fine. I'm not having any contractions just yet." So far I felt fairly calm, and squeezed his hand. "Why don't you contact Sylvia, though? She wanted to be notified if anything happened."

"Right!" he exclaimed, frantically looking around for his wand to send my healer a patronus. As he did, I gripped the sofa arm to stand, and walked around the room for a minute, then went to the loo. Later, after cleaning the earlier mess up, I stared out the window into the darkness and thought back to my labor with James, trying to remember how it had felt. The pain of it had long since faded to the point of oblivion, but I could still recall it on a factual basis. My labor had lasted almost six hours, and thinking back, it had seemed a very smooth birth. I hoped this one would compare favorably.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Sylvia standing there with a big smile. "Is it time, then, Laura?"

"Well, my water broke, as I'm sure Sirius told you, but that's it, so far." I gave her the details.

"So no contractions yet?"

"No. I just feel really tired. I may go back to sleep in a few."

"Certainly. Mind if I prepare your room, first, though? Then I'll examine you quickly and let you rest." She pulled out her wand and began to walk in the direction of our bedroom before I answered.

"Of course. Go ahead," I said, stifling a yawn. Sirius was next to me once more in the hallway.

"Want anything to eat or drink?" he asked.

"No. I'm not hungry. Thanks, honey." He rubbed my back for a moment and turned, going back into the lounge once more.

I followed Sylvia into our bedroom, where she had already transformed it into an impromptu birthing center. "Wow. You're really quick!" I couldn't help exclaiming.

She smoothed out a crease in the sheets and said, "Thank you. I've gotten lots of practice." She winked at me and motioned to the bed. "Now. Lie down on the bed, please, and I'll examine you ... and see where we're at just now."

I dutifully laid down on the sheet and assumed the position. After conjuring stirrups with her wand and placing my feet in them, she began to check me. "Right. Three centimeters dilated ... completely effaced, of course ... that's good. Head's down low ..." Continuing her examination, Sylvia stood over me and palpated my abdomen. Then she waved her wand at the chart and transferred her words to it using a Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Well, I'm afraid the waiting has begun," she said apologetically. "What I'm going to do is pop over to my other patient and I'll go back and forth between you as you need me. Looks like you'll both have your babies in the morning sometime. But no worries."

"Other patient?" I was suddenly more alert. "I didn't know there was anyone else. Can you take care of both of us at once?"

She was unperturbed by my anxiety. "Oh, of course. Just a matter of apparating back and forth. She's out in Sussex. Don't worry, dear. You get some rest and if I don't hear from you in a few hours, I'll check back then."

I nodded and rolled over on my side. Sirius put the light out on my request and followed Sylvia out of the room, leaving me to contemplate things. But exhaustion soon won out and I drifted back off to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sylvia returned, as promised, exactly two hours later, waking me to be examined once more. Things had not changed significantly, but she didn't seem worried. Promising to return before long, she asked Sirius for permission to apparate directly within the house during the night. He agreed, of course, and left the room once more with her, asking a few questions as they walked down the hallway together. I fell back asleep immediately and this time, dreamt of a room full of babies.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

I stirred and opened my eyes. The room was in complete darkness. _Something _had awoken me. I lay still, holding my breath at first and afraid to move. Then, after several minutes, I felt it again. A tightness in my abdomen, not terribly uncomfortable, though, and then after several seconds it eased off. I checked the time; it was 1:40. Trying to commit that time to memory in my foggy brain, I rolled to my other side and attempted to rest once more. I could feel Sirius' warmth next to me, and I nudged closer to him. I waited. Several minutes later, the tightness returned, feeling as though a giant hand was squeezing me around the middle. I looked once more at the clock. 1:46. Crikey ... six minutes apart. Already? I decided to wait until the next one before waking Sirius. Once it eased off, I sat up, fully awake now. Sirius must have been sleeping lightly; once I shifted the bedcovers he was immediately awake.

"Mmmm. What is it?" he asked, fumbling in the darkness to touch me.

"I've had a few contractions," I said. "I'm trying to time them. Think I'll get up and move around a bit." Sirius put the light on as I swung my feet over the side of the bed. I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. As I drank it, I felt the tightening again, and this time it was painful. Still at six minutes apart. I could hear the faint sound of Sirius' voice from the bedroom as he contacted Sylvia with an update.

I quickly decided to get in the shower under some hot water, hoping that would help with the pain. I went into the bathroom and turned the tap on. Soon it was steaming, and I stepped in. Another contraction soon came over me, and this time I bent over, groaning and clawing for something to steady myself. Sirius threw open the shower door. "Are you alright?" he asked urgently. I shook my head, unable to move until it was over. Finally I was able to stand. "Hopefully Sylvia will be back soon," he said, observing me worriedly. I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Laura, be sure to breathe through them," he reminded me. I gave him a baleful look, but knew he was right. I'd been holding my breath.

I stepped out of the shower. "Well, I don't think the water's going to do any good," I said wearily, and turned it off.

A few more episodes ensued. "How far apart are they now?" he asked.

"They've been six minutes or so," I said, then another one hit. "Where the hell _is_ she?" I said through gritted teeth as I doubled over. He watched helplessly until it was over. "Shit. That one seemed quicker. What time is it?"

He looked into the bedroom. "2:30. Come back in here, darling." He walked me back out of the loo. Cursing under his breath, he took his wand and began to send a more urgent message. Just as he started, though, another ghostly animal, an eagle, was present in the room.

"Sirius, Laura, I'll be there soon as I can. My other patient is having some unexpected complications, and I can't leave her just now. I'm contacting a colleague, though, who can come to you if I stay tied up here. Since you're still some minutes apart, you should be okay for right now, though, so don't worry! Keep in touch." Then, as we stared at it in shock, the eagle flapped its wings and faded from the room.

"Oh, God," I moaned. " 'Keep in touch?' We're fucked." I leaned heavily against the bed, and Sirius stroked my back. A few minutes later, another contraction began, and I howled in pain.

"Breathe!" he hissed, and I bent over double once more, nodding acknowledgment through the pain. When it was over, I heaved myself back up.

"That one was, what, four minutes in between?" I asked, breathing heavily.

Sirius looked desperate. "I'll send her another message. Do you want music or anything?"

I shook my head. "No thanks ... I think it would just bother me. Quiet's better." I watched him cast another patronus with a more urgent message this time.

After a few more minutes, I was hit by another one which I felt mostly in my back. I dropped to my hands and knees, gasping through it, and suddenly felt an overwhelming need to push. After what seemed like forever, it eased off. "Sirius. I don't think I'm going to last much longer."

"What?! You can't be about to have it _yet_!" he asked, now in full panic mode.

"I think it's going to be just me and you."

He kneeled next to me, looking positively horrified. I took his hand. "Don't worry. Just send her an update. But now, I _really_ have to go to the loo." I stumbled into the bathroom, then reemerged mere minutes, and one agonizing contraction, later. Sirius popped his head in when he heard me groaning in pain.

"Laura, don't do this to me! Let me help."

"Well, I didn't think it was something you could help with," I said acerbically, gripping Sirius' hand until it was white. "Thought I had to go. But now I'm pretty sure it's the baby instead." He helped me walk back into the bedroom.

After several more episodes like this over the next half-hour, I swept the sheets and absorbent pads off the bed and got down on the floor on top of them. "Shouldn't you lie on the bed?" he asked, flexing his fingers nervously from where I had squeezed them earlier.

"Doesn't feel right." As another contraction hit, I realized they were quickly growing more frequent. I kneeled on all fours, crying out.

His face grew ashen as he checked the clock again. "Jesus, they're only a minute or so apart! Where the hell is someone?"

The contractions continued, over and over again, and no one appeared to help. I felt the pressure increase with each one, and felt I couldn't stand it anymore.

"I have to push!" I said, as tears came to my eyes. "It's going to come out soon." I was panting, and feeling vicious waves of compression now almost continually.

"I'm right here to help you," he said bracingly, then looked down. "Ohmygod, it's the head!" Just then I pushed hard. "That didn't work! You're going to have to do it again," he exclaimed, just when I felt another one, forcing me to push hard once more. "There it comes! That's it ... push!"

I felt a tiny bit of release, though the contractions didn't let up. "Hold on to the head when it does, Sirius," I gasped again and groaned.

"I am. The head, and I think the body, is turning when you push!" he said. "Is it supposed to?"

"Yes!" I cried, through gritted teeth.

"Right. Do it again, when you can," he instructed. He didn't have to tell me twice.

With another racking pain upon me, I moaned and pushed as hard as I could. "That's it," he said, his voice a bit more soothing now. "Again, when you need to, and he'll be out."

And with one last effort, I strained hard, cried out, and felt the body slide out of me. "He's out! Oh – wait a minute." His voice sounded more curious than alarmed.

I turned my head slowly. "What is it?" I asked limply, feeling a sense of dread. Sirius didn't answer at first, but _accio'd_ several instruments over to the sheet that Sylvia had left in preparation for the event. He took a nasal suction and applied it. Soon we heard a strong, fierce baby cry of anger. I lay my head down in relief, still in the same position. "Sirius, bring him to me," I said, still breathing heavily and near tears.

"_Her_, you mean. We have a baby girl," he said, laughing shakily. "When do I cut the cord?"

I laughed in surprise myself, in spite of the pain. "Ha! I knew it! The muggles were right this time! Oh – she should have brought clamps. Clamp the cord close to the baby. I want to see her."

He gingerly picked the baby up, who was still crying indignantly, and inched up next to me where I could see and hold her. His shirt was bloody and his eyes liquid with emotion as he handed her to me, yet he smiled at me, awestruck. I looked down at our tiny daughter, still covered in vernix, with her miniscule fists pumping the air, and pulled her to me. Sirius grabbed a blanket that Sylvia had left, and wiped her off gently.

Afterward, I brought her closer, covering her with a clean blanket, and let her eat. I knew there wasn't much to feed her, just yet. But we lay that way for close to an hour once my body finished doing its job, with my husband clamping the cord and cutting it himself. We said almost nothing, but watched every little move she made.

Finally she seemed satisfied and no longer upset. "So what's her name, honey?" I asked as we continued to stare at the tiny new child, who was now busying herself by looking around in a bit of a daze.

He smiled at me. "Well, I'll admit she caught me off guard. I was sure it would be a choice between Evan or John. But ... well, Livia still sounds good to me. Is that alright?" He looked at me hopefully.

I nodded, my eyes filling up with tears again, for some reason. "I have to tell you something. I'm even more in love with you than I was when we first met. But you probably knew that already."

Sirius reached over Livia to kiss me tenderly. "I am madly in love with _you_. Always will be. And _this_ ... was perfect. Just us." He motioned around the room, indicating our earlier labors.

A fast clacking noise came closer to us down the hallway, and as we looked up, Sylvia appeared, ashen-faced, in the doorway. "I am _so _sorry!!! Dear Merlin, the other patient's birth was a complete nightmare! But it turned out fine, bless her. Where's that damned other healer?!! Please tell me she showed up! Laura, forgive me, I beg you ...ahhh, the baby's beautiful. Boy or girl? How do you feel?" As Sylvia rattled on apologetically, I held up Livia, whom I had swaddled up in a blanket, and let her take her. She cooed over our baby in between asking more forgiveness for her absence. Then she handed her back to Sirius, who rocked her protectively, and helped me climb into the bed after replacing the protective linens. After palpating my abdomen, which made me wince, and finishing her examination of my body, she let me take Livia from Sirius once more to attempt nursing.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

After Sylvia finally left, promising to return later in the day, Sirius climbed under the covers into a freshly made bed with me, and Livia between us. "I am so sorry I couldn't be with you for James," he whispered. Liv, as I was already calling her, had fallen asleep after nursing again, but we couldn't stop looking at her.

"Sirius, never apologize for that. Wasn't your fault. You're here with us now. You know your son. We'll be even happier as our children grow older." I touched his face affectionately. Then we finally closed our eyes and went back to sleep.


	43. A Book of Spells

Baggage claim at Gatwick was a confusing mess, with hordes of people meeting loved ones, carting luggage, chattering and milling around, and my little family on the edge of the fray. I was supposed to be meeting my mother here, and wished heartily that we had arranged another location. Sirius continually scanned the crowd, though unsure of exactly who he was looking for, as he pushed Livia's elegant pram back and forth. It had been a gift from Professor Dumbledore, and was one of several nice things we had received for our new daughter. Two month old Livia slept heavily, in blissful unawareness of the clamor surrounding her as she sucked peacefully on her dummy.

After trawling the area a few times, I was ready to concede defeat and have the woman paged, when Sirius nudged me and pointed. "Is that her?" he asked.

A slender, older, dark-haired woman, taller than myself, was lugging bags behind her and looking around, just as confused as we had been.

"You look just alike," he commented, still staring at her.

"Oh, we do not," I argued good-naturedly. I waved wildly in her direction and she perked up immediately, then rotated her load toward us. Christmas music was playing overhead, and the atmosphere felt festive, even for an airport. Mom finally stood in front of me, looking back and forth at us, then down at the baby.

"Hi Mom," I said, with more than a trace of nervousness, "It's good to see you. This is my husband, Sirius. And our daughter, Livia."

Mom looked up at Sirius once more, and he smiled. "Very nice to meet you," he said.

"You, too," she answered genially, clearly not sure what else to say at this point.

"James will be home in a few days for Christmas break, so you can meet him then."

Mom nodded and looked down at the baby once more, taking in her sleeping face and shock of black hair. "Well, she's beautiful," she said, smiling. She glanced back up at me, and we regarded each other much the same way Sirius and I had done over a year before. Matching up our expectations and memories with reality. Then she moved closer and put her arms around me. I should have known she would, but I stiffened involuntarily anyway. We hugged for a short time, then she backed away.

Sirius' voice broke the tension. "Well, I'll just take these, shall I? We'll make our way to the Gatwick Express." He extended a hand for Mom's bags, and she smiled at him once more.

"Oh, thanks!" As we walked down the hallway, absolutely no one took notice of us. It was a refreshing change from haunts in the wizarding world, where people still whispered and stared when they noticed Sirius in the vicinity. Fortunately _that_ was waning a bit, though, by now, as well as mentions in the _Daily Prophet_. The veela incident still rose to the surface randomly, with guffaws and ribald jokes directed at Sirius, but never when I was around. He was skilled in deflecting those, however, and laughed them off.

As we walked, Mom and I chatted lightly about her flight over; what movies were playing, the lousy airline food, and how hard it had been to sleep on the plane. I told her she should take it easy today and rest, and we would worry about sightseeing in a day or so. Once we had boarded the train and stowed the pram, she insisted on holding Livia the entire time, leaving me free to scoot up close to Sirius, who took my hand and threaded his fingers through mine.

We had decided during our phone conversations that Mom would just stay with us, with the option of leaving to travel around on her own if she desired. I hoped that I wasn't making a mistake, but figured she would be gone soon enough if the visit didn't go well. So once at Victoria station, we took a cab bound for our house. It was a lengthy drive around the perimeter of London, but we finally made it home by late morning. Mom was already yawning, though she insisted she was fine for now. I showed her to the spare bedroom which would eventually belong to Liv, whose crib was in our room for the time being.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

After settling in, Mom wandered around the house aimlessly, appearing to look for anything abnormal that would indicate that wizards lived here. I busied myself making some soup for lunch while Sirius took off on his motorcycle, promising to return soon.

"Isn't it too cold to be on one of those?" she asked anxiously, peering out the window as the bike engine roared to life outside.

I shrugged and smiled. "He doesn't care ... he just likes to get out and roam around on it sometimes." I didn't tell her exactly what he was most likely doing on his precious Triumph, which might include flying through the air on it.

"Oh," was all she said. She finished up lunch as I fed Livia, then anxiously held out her hands, wanting to hold the baby once more. I had to admit, I thought this could be a nice arrangement, giving Sirius and myself a bit of free time during her visit.

"So, what school did you say James is at?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," I answered. Livia started for a moment when I spoke, then resumed looking around the room shortly thereafter. I smiled at her indulgently as she rested her head against Mom's shoulder and promptly spit up all over it. Mom laid her down in a bouncy seat, securing her carefully. Then she took a rag and wiped up the mess on her shirt.

"What kind of name is that?" she asked dubiously, now ladling soup into bowls.

I shrugged. "Some kind of flower. It's an ... interesting place. I've been there several times. Taking lessons." I looked down at Liv, who was already on the edge of sleep from the vibration of the seat.

Mom blew on her soup, then took a sip. "Well, I want to hear everything. How you met Sirius, and ...well, you know. Everything."

"Well, I met Sirius in a place called Diagon Alley." I avoided mentioning how he had erased it from my memory. "Hopefully, if you're comfortable with the idea, we can take you there before you leave. It's, um, different. But a cool place."

I went on to talk about our courtship and eventual marriage; our friends who were present, how happy we had been, and very much in love. Then, with a deep sigh and a few reservations, I decided to plunge into the rest of the story. The last time I saw Sirius, the events leading up to it. His secrecy about the mysterious Order, not wanting to expose me to the danger, though worrying about just such an eventuality. The death of James and Lily, his disappearance. How I had nearly cracked apart, trying to raise a child while not knowing what had happened to my husband. The subsequent years alone and lonely, until I received a letter from a place called Hogwarts informing my son that he was a wizard and had a place there beginning in September of that year. Then the astonishing news that my husband was alive, yet had escaped from the dismal wizard prison where he had been held all that time. That I always tenaciously believed in his innocence. Our tender reunion. How he had lived in secrecy with me for almost a year, during which I became pregnant, and finally, how he was exonerated. And now the two of us with our son and daughter, happy once more, though we knew that he would never fully escape the ravages of Azkaban.

Mom had no idea what to say when I finished. But when she did speak, it was in a torrent of emotion. "Why did you never tell me this? Those vague letters you sent ... I had no idea what was going on with you. No idea that you were going through this, that he was gone. You should have let us ... do something!"

I laughed bitterly. "What? Tell you I was married to a wizard? That my husband had disappeared without a trace? There were things you knew back then, but I don't recall any help being offered. You never expressed any desire to come see me, meet your grandson, nothing!" I knew this conversation was bound to happen, and was glad to get it out in the open sooner rather than later.

"As if you would have let me! I-"

"Would Dad have let you?"

"Listen, your Dad -"

I held up a hand. "Don't bother defending him. I mean, I've forgiven him, but he was one misguided, bitter, self-righteous person who thought everyone beside himself was evil. You could've stood up to him. And your own mother a witch!"

"Oh, really. She never told me! And stop judging your dad. He had faults just like anyone. But he was not as bad as you make him out to be."

"Aw, come on. He hated me!"

She was resolute. "Your father never hated you. He loved you. He never forgave himself when you left."

"Well, he had a strange way of showing it."

"Unfortunately some people do, Laura. I'm sorry he wasn't better to you." She shrugged helplessly.

Our heated conversation had roused Livia, and she began to cry. I went to pick her up, but Mom asked if she could.

"Sure." I said, watching her pick up my daughter and calm her down, and felt regretful. Maybe she would have been able to do this for James when he had been a baby if I had ever asked. She continued to pat the baby's back, bouncing her slightly as she walked around.

I heard the front door open and close, and looked past the kitchen doorway to see Sirius striding toward us, shrugging off his leather jacket. He discreetly took his wand out of the inside pocket and held it at his side, then threw the coat on a chair. Smiling at both of us, he walked into the room with his hair windblown, looking like a wild man. "Well, that smells wonderful!" He kissed me with cold lips, and then went to Livia, still in Mom's arms, and kissed her head tenderly. We laughed as her tiny body shivered. "Mind if I take her?" he asked, putting the wand on the counter. She nodded politely, and handed Liv over after wrapping her in a blanket. He held her neck protectively as he let her look around the room. Mom took the opportunity to shoot surreptitious glances at Sirius' wand. He noticed and said, "Pick it up if you'd like."

She looked warily at it, but wrapped her fingers around the instrument, feeling the tiny grooves and indentations of whatever had been inscribed on it by Ollivander. Sirius was whispering to Livia, and I fixed his lunch while he walked around holding her. "Try something," I said jokingly. Mom rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, right."

"Oh, go ahead. _Accio_ something. That spoon, see?" Sirius smiled at her and motioned toward the countertop.

"I feel silly. I can't use this." But she pointed it at the spoon and said, "Ack – what did you say?"

"_Accio spoon_," he repeated.

She sighed. "_Accio spoon_," Mom said, still pointing the wand. Nothing happened. "Does this thing_ really_ work?" she asked disbelievingly, and with slight disappointment. I got the feeling this wasn't the first time she had tried something like that.

"Here, take Liv," Sirius said. Mom obliged all too happily, and he took the wand from her. "_Accio spoon._" The spoon swiftly flew into his free hand. My mother couldn't help but gasp.

"What else can you do?" she asked, sounding more than a little impressed.

Sirius laughed loudly. "Do you know, you sound exactly like your daughter when I showed her a wand for the first time?" Mom looked at me suspiciously, and I had to giggle at his unintentional double entendre. Then I erupted into fullblown laughter, and Sirius gave me a mock disgusted look.

"Yeah, I wanted to know what all you could do with it. And you showed me, too, didn't you? Oops, sorry, Mom," I said, as I wiped my eyes, still giggling uncontrollably. She and Sirius waited with raised eyebrows until I stopped.

"Finished?" she asked drolly. I nodded, grateful for the release of tension, and thinking Sirius had showed up at the right time.

"Laura likes her little joke," he added sardonically.

"Well, now that you have your _spoon_, darling, there's your lunch," I said, grinning, in a posh Brit accent. I pushed the bowl toward my husband. He accepted it gratefully and ripped a hunk of bread off a loaf to eat with it.

"When is it James will come home?" Mom asked a few minutes later.

"Nineteenth," Sirius said after swallowing a mouthful of bread. He took a sip of water. "We'll pick him up at King's Cross. He's excited," he exaggerated, shifting his gaze away. James was, in fact, severely disappointed at being too young to stay for the Yule Ball over Christmas, though he looked forward to spending his first Christmas with his father. Well, second, technically, though Sirius had been forced to remain a dog the previous year. Another fact I didn't bother telling my mother. And according to his letters, at least, and the one time he'd been allowed out of school to see his newborn sister, he seemed curious to meet the grandmother he had never known.

"I feel bad," she went on. "I brought some things for Livia, but I have nothing for James. I had no idea what to get him. I was hoping to buy something here."

"Well, like I said, there are some places in Diagon Alley that have things he would love. We'll go there soon," I answered. I wasn't too worried about picking the right gift for James in that location.

Once lunch was cleared away, Mom was yawning, though she protested that she didn't want to take a nap. "Do you have pictures? I'd like to see some."

"Oh, yeah. They're in here," I said, pointing at the lounge. She brought Liv, now back in her bouncy seat, with her, and placed her in the floor by her side.

I took a few albums and flipped through them, then took them over to the sofa. "These are mostly me and Sirius and our friends, years ago," I said, picking up the first one. Mom nodded, and I opened it. Sirius sat on my other side, looking over my shoulder as well.

He laughed at the first picture. It wasn't of the two of us, but him and James as teenagers long before we met, and it was a wizard photograph. Mom looked up in alarm at me as the two figures in the image cavorted and goofed off for the unknown photographer. "Wizard photos move," I tried to explain. "I think the film's enchanted, right?" I glanced at Sirius, who nodded. "Our James is named after _this_ one," I added, making a funny face and grinning fondly at the boy with ruffled hair and specs.

Sirius was quiet and didn't take his eyes off the picture for a minute. I paused before turning the page. Then he shifted slightly, and I moved on. A few pictures of the two of us were next, muggle photographs taken with my camera. There was the one where we were dancing in a club; a big night out for us and we were obviously very much in love by then. I thought Lily must have taken that picture. She had more of a gift than James for making creative images; we were in silhouette, dancing closely and perfectly still among couples blurred by movement. As I looked at it, I recalled how it had felt to have my arms wrapped around his neck and how strong and lithe his body felt under my hands. We had gone back to his flat promptly and spent our first night together.

The next one was the four of us, taken by someone in a pub; Sirius with his arm around me, and James and Lily kissing passionately, and rather drunkenly. Mom was observing them as closely as I did; at how happy we all looked, beaming at the camera.

There were a few others with similar poses and locations, including the one of Sirius shivering in the snow at Wasdale Head with the caption _My fiance_, then we came upon a few wedding photos. None had been taken during the ceremony, but we had several pictures from afterward, in St. Olaf's church and the pub at Wasdale Head Inn. On a beach in the south of France with Sirius all wet from swimming in the ocean and grinning wickedly at the camera. One of me in bed looking seductively up at him, obviously naked but covered by a blanket, which I flipped past quickly, much to his amusement.

We reached the end of the album and I stole a quick glance at Mom. "Want to see more? Sure you don't want a nap?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she insisted. "Show me some of James."

"That one's next," I said, and pulled out a colorful album crammed full of photographs. Most had been taken by me, though there were a few professional portraits mixed in occasionally.

As we flipped through them, Mom ooh'ed and aah'ed in the appropriate places. "Well, Sirius, I think James looks just like you. His eyes are shaped like his mother's, though," she said, observing my face. Then she glanced down at Livia, who had just awoken and was stretching. "Livia looks more like Laura did when she was a baby, I think, except for her hair color." The child in question perked up, looked around and began to cry.

"Time to feed Liv; guess I'd better change her, too," I said, reaching down to pick her up. "I'll just be back in the bedroom." I left my mother and husband sitting on the sofa as I took my angry baby down the hallway for her dinner.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

That evening after dinner, it was obvious my mother was fading fast. She couldn't stop yawning and rubbing her eyes. I helped her unpack some things and showed her where all the toiletries were, then wished her a good night.

"Wait, I wanted to give you this before I go to bed," Mom called as I was closing the door. She rummaged through one of her bags and produced a smaller one, though considerable in size itself. "These were the things from your grandmother."

Intrigued, I took it and peered inside. All I could see were what appeared to be a long crooked stick, probably at least seventeen inches long, and an extremely worn booklet that looked just as old. Mom waved me off. "Go look at it on your own. We'll talk tomorrow morning." We said goodnight and I backed out of the room, still peeking inside the bag.

I took it into the lounge where Sirius was holding Livia on the sofa and reading a book. He glanced up at me and smiled. "Did you have a good day today?"

I spoke softly so Mom couldn't hear. "Oh, yeah. Went very well, I thought. Look what I have," I said, holding the bag up.

"Oh? What's in it?" He carefully put the sleeping baby in her bouncy seat and watched me take the few items out. The long stick was not as rough as I had first thought. The thicker end of it was worn to a lighter color, most likely from being gripped repeatedly. It was surprisingly stronger than it looked, as I found out while gingerly attempting to bend the tip. Not too flexible, I thought.

"What are you waiting for? Try something," Sirius suggested softly while Liv dozed.

"Hmmm. Okay. _Lumos_." A white light slowly emanated from the wand, until the room was filled with it. "_Nox_," I said next, and the light dissapated quickly.

"Let me see," said Sirius. I handed it to him and rummaged through the bag for the one other item. It was the little book, ragged but still intact. I flipped to the first page, which was a list of names. Only one was familiar to me, toward the bottom. _Amanda Campbell. _My grandmother. Above it was another name I had never heard of, but thought I could figure out who it was. _Siofra o' Dubhuir (O'Dwyer_ was written next to it). I wondered if this was my great-grandmother, or perhaps _her_ mother. And Irish, obviously. One other name was above hers, but the handwriting was illegible. I couldn't wait to ask Mom the next morning. Moving on, I leafed through a few pages and realized that the words, now faded and hard to decipher, were somewhat familiar to me, at least since the days after I had met Sirius and heard him using them. A book of spells.


	44. Charing Cross

"What did you and your mother talk about while I was gone?" Sirius whispered as we lay in bed that night. We were on our sides facing each other, and his hand rested on my hip. Livia lay between us, having just finished nursing, and now asleep. He looked down on her lovingly and kissed the top of her head.

"I filled her in on the last fourteen years, mainly. We argued about some things; Dad, for example. Could've been worse, though. We still have a lot to talk about. She was all stoved up because I didn't tell them about what happened with you. Thought I should have confided in them ... as if I could!" I raised my eyes heavenward.

"She's right, you know," he said. "No, don't go off on me-" he added softly when I opened my mouth to disagree. "You went through hell, trying to raise James on your own." He cupped a warm hand on my cheek. "You could have used the help."

"Water under the bridge, now," I said. "Would you have accepted help from your mum?"

"Absolutely not. Point taken. Now, about the wand ... I'd love for Ollivander to take a look at it. He always enjoys seeing other people's work. I'll run it by there tomorrow when we go to Diagon Alley."

I laughed softly. "I think Mom's looking forward to it. She really wants to get James some things. Good time to finish up our Christmas shopping, too. Oh yeah," I added, thinking of something else, "how's Harry doing? Hanging in there?"

"Yeah," he said, then went silent for a moment as Liv stirred. Then she emitted a little snore, and Sirius continued. "I'm a bit worried. Somebody's got it in for him ... or his name never would've come out of that goblet. But it's binding, so there's nothing he can do for it, other than try to win. I'll help as much as possible; he needs it. It's a while until his next task, though, so it'll give him plenty of time to prepare."

"I wish he was coming here for Christmas. I'd like to see him," I whispered.

Sirius nodded. "Me, too. Can't wait to see James, though."

I leaned over and kissed him on the mouth softly. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Good Lord. He's going to get sick if he keeps that up!" Mom harrumphed as I was changing Livia the next morning. Sirius had just left on his motorcycle yet again.

"Oh, stop worrying," I said. "I'm used to it. He won't get sick. Do you ever recall me getting ill the whole time I was growing up?"

"You didn't. I remember thinking that was really odd. Nice, though. Something to do with ...?" she motioned with her hand, which I took to mean _wizardry_ was the unspoken word.

"Yeah. Wizards don't catch muggle illnesses. They have their own host of diseases. But they're not terribly common," I reassured her with a smile as she gave me a horrified look. She took Liv and we walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. She had already fixed coffee, and I poured a few cups for us.

"Well," she said mildly, changing the subject. "You two seem to get along very well. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. I think we've earned it, though. After everything."

"Oh yes. You have some explaining to do. I went to bed last night trying to figure out all that stuff you told me yesterday. None of it makes any sense."

I snapped Liv's outfit back up and threw her stinky nappy in the pail. "Alright. Which things? We'll start that way." Mom took Livia in her arms.

"Okay ... well, Sirius told me some things last night while you were feeding the baby. You had sent him letters over the years. He said they all arrived after he had escaped. By _owls_? How do owls deliver mail? And how did they know where to find him? Nobody knew where he was until he found you, you said."

"I, ah, don't know, really. Some owls are magical, like people. They just know where to go." I shrugged. "When I mailed them, I never thought he would get them. I mean, I didn't even put his real name on the envelopes. Just his nickname."

"Which was ...?"

"Padfoot."

She looked confused. "Well, that's a funny nickname. How'd he get that?"

I paused, unsure whether the concept of _Padfoot_ was a wise thing to divulge. "He has a few ... dog-like characteristics," I finally conceded with a little smile, knowing Mom would have no idea what I was talking about. "It's an old name from his days at school."

"So these owls just found him in the middle of nowhere, but people couldn't." she said dubiously.

"Let me just tell you something. I'm not trying to compare this to any kind of religion, because that's not what it is, contrary to what _some_ people think. But I've learned to just accept some things. I'm not sure if _anyone_ knows the science behind this stuff, only how to use it."

"How was he put in prison, anyway? And how did he escape? It sounds so ... unbelievable. You don't think he really -" She looked at me without finishing the sentence.

"No. He killed no one. It was an awful thing that happened to him. Things were really bad back then ... nobody trusted anyone. And Sirius was very secretive about some things. He was trying to protect our friends. He wanted to protect me, too, from all that. Don't think he doesn't still beat himself up over everything now. He doesn't talk much about it, but I think he still feels somewhat responsible for James and Lily's deaths. He deals with it, though."

"What did you think about that stuff I gave you?" Mom asked, changing the subject. "Is it ... magic?"

I thought of the worn, crooked stick. "Yeah, that's a wand, a pretty cool one. Works great for me. And the book is like a very old textbook on spells, I guess, though Sirius said some of them looked unfamiliar. He's going to try a few of them and see what happens. The Gaelic stuff threw me off, though. I didn't realize anyone in our family was Irish."

"Oh, yeah." She screwed up her face, thinking. "Your great-great grandmother, maybe? Her name's in it."

"I saw it," I said, and finished up breakfast, putting my dishes in the sink. Even with the use of magic, I still wasn't inclined to take care of them immediately. Turning back to face her, I said, "Well, Sirius should be back before long. I'll feed Livia and we'll go shopping afterwards. I know you want to do Harvey Nichols and all that stuff, so we'll go there first, then head over to Diagon Alley."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later that day after Sirius returned, we headed out for sightseeing and shopping. He gamely agreed to a double decker bus tour around the city so Mom could get a feel for it, though we sat inside out of the cold. When the bus arrived at a stop close to the enormous department store, we disembarked and went inside. I had Liv in a baby carrier on my chest, and she was fast asleep. I rarely made it into this store, considering how expensive it was, but I had to admit, I loved looking through it at all the things I couldn't possibly afford. We had lunch there, then hopped back on the bus toting a few large bags. When no one was looking, Sirius took his wand out and disposed of them, sending them back home. It impressed Mom to no end, and I was glad to see she and Sirius were hitting it off so well.

We eventually came to a stop close to Charing Cross Road, and got off once more to explore the area before heading into wizarding London close by. We had been idly peering into shop windows for a few minutes when I heard a deep voice behind me exclaim, "Laura Black?" I swiveled around, with my baby attached to me, to see a tall slender man with dark hair looking hesitantly at me and my entourage.

"Richard!" I said in surprise. Sirius immediately turned around to look at him. Richard and I both sized each other up, though he was much more surprised than I, it seemed. Finally he managed to eke out, "Your baby, Laura?"

"Er, yes. This is my daughter Livia. And ... my mother, Barbara Ketron. And this, um, is my husband."

Richard looked at him in astonishment, then back at me. "You ... remarried?"

Sirius piped up in place of me. "No. We've been married for several years. I'm her husband, Sirius." He smiled, though he was obviously trying to figure out exactly who Richard might be.

I turned to him. "This is Richard Martin. A friend of mine from some years back." Richard wasn't even looking at me, though, but at Sirius, as though trying desperately to add two and two.

"_You're_ her husband? But I thought- " he looked to me for an explanation, which eluded me at the moment. "I thought you were ... pardon me ... _dead_."

Sirius stiffened. "Dead? No. Very much alive, in fact." He shot me a look to let me know we had an interesting conversation ahead of us. Finally, Sirius asked me the question that hung in mid air. "And uh ... how do you know Richard?"

Before I could answer, the other man did for me. "We were both in a grief support group ... what? Four or five years ago?" He was now looking at me as if I'd grown two heads. "For people who've lost their spouses," he added pointedly.

"So, how are you doing?" I asked him quickly, wishing I were anywhere but here now. My mother stood looking between the three of us rather wide-eyed, though thankfully she kept her mouth shut.

"Oh, well enough, I suppose. Grace and Robert are in school now. I'll be going to pick them up soon." His gaze was distinctly mistrustful now. "They've asked about you several times. And the group wondered whatever happened to you."

"Well, please tell everyone I said 'hello,' " I replied. "But we're off to buy some presents for James, so time's cut a bit short, I'm afraid. It was very nice to see you, though."

"You still haven't explained how your husband came to be ... here," he said, unwilling to give up that line of thought.

"It's a very long story," I said, looking sideways at Sirius. "But things are going wonderfully now and we're happy."

He grimaced. "I see. Well, I'll be going then. Nice to have met you," he added dubiously to Sirius and my mother. "Beautiful daughter you have."

I nodded thanks mutely as he strode off without looking back. Sirius didn't look at me now, either, but muttered, "Well, Diagon Alley, then." He took off at a rapid pace, leaving Mom and me to trail after him, struggling to keep up. We made it through the odd place in the bricks, which I assumed my mother would be very impressed with. But she wouldn't look me in the eye, and I slowly began to feel angry. I had done absolutely nothing wrong, but felt as though somehow I was now the whore of Babylon. By my husband and my mother. Couldn't blame my mother, at least, who hadn't been around the past several years and probably felt as if she didn't really know me, in some ways. But if Sirius wanted an explanation, I'd certainly give him one. Too bad James' Christmas shopping was going to suffer as a result, though.

My mood matched theirs now, and I motioned curtly to Gambol and Japes joke shop. "Here. James likes this place." Mom followed me in. Sirius cut in abruptly, first.

"Give me Livia," he ordered. "I'll hold her and take that wand to Ollivander's." I let her out of the carrier and handed her to him. He said not a word, but took her and walked away as Mom and I went inside. She managed to forget the earlier fracas once she looked around the place.

"Oh my! This is amazing!" In spite of my foul mood, I smiled. It was my first memory of the place, as well. She looked at several things and didn't really want to leave, but after almost thirty minutes, I felt I had to speed her up a bit.

"James did say he wanted this," I said, pointing to a game on a corner display. "I'll pay for it, okay? You can take care of it later." She looked confused. "Wizards use different money, remember?"

"Oh. Okay."

We strolled around the shop for a few more minutes and picked up a few stocking stuffers for him.

"That should be good, from here, at least." I paid for the items and we walked out together, laden down with a few more large bags. Sirius was seated on the bench, playing with Liv. He didn't say much to me, but stood as he held her. Mom continued to look around like a kid in a candy shop.

"Ready to move on?" he asked brusquely.

"Yes," I answered, in the same tone.

We looked through some more shops to appease Mom's curiosity, and then decided to head back home via the Underground this time. Once there, the evening passed by very slowly. Nobody seemed to know what to say, and I really wanted to explain some things to Sirius, though not in front of my mother. After dinner, though, she appeared out of the guest bedroom bundled up. "Well, I feel like going for a little walk, since Liv's napping." She motioned with her head to our room, where our baby lay asleep.

"It's pretty cold outside," I commented, though I was glad she seemed to understand. The thought occurred to me that I had vastly underestimated my mother for some time now. She seemed a bit stronger and wiser than I remembered.

Mom brushed off my concern. "I'll be back soon. Your neighborhood seems very safe. A walk will do me good." With a tiny smile, she let herself out the front door.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius and I sat on the sofa after she left. "Well, I'll just ask now, since your mum was kind enough to leave us," he said. "Who the hell was Richard?"

I looked at him, still rather defensive. "Richard was a man I met in a grief support group that I was involved with some time back. He was nothing else other than a friend. He would like to have been, I think, after a while, but it never happened."

"You were in a grief support group? Care to explain that?"

I was a bit defiant. "Not at all. I missed you like mad and, by then, assumed that you were lost to me for good. I had seen this therapist who strongly recommended it, and met with them for a while. Not that I got that much out of it, or the therapist, come to that. Couldn't _exactly_ participate."

"Why not?"

"Well, here everyone was pouring out their hearts, opening up about their loved ones. I couldn't tell _anybody_ the real story about us. They'd have thought I was crazy, or some kind of sick compulsive liar. Like Richard apparently does now," I said bitterly. "I usually just left, having said nothing."

He sobered a bit, listening to me. I was incredibly frustrated reliving that whole time, thinking that I'd suffered every bit as much as those people, but couldn't share it with anyone and be believed. I'd even made up something to tell the therapist to explain my being there, which seemed to defeat the purpose somewhat. But I hadn't known how else to deal with things.

"You never told me about that, though. Or him. There's more to him, isn't there?"

I looked steadily at the television screen, which he had muted, letting the images distract me. Then I looked back at him. "No. Not really. Like I said, he eventually wanted more. We went out a few times for coffee. The last time, well, I suppose it shouldn't have, but he caught me off guard a bit. He kissed me once. And that was it. Nothing else ever happened."

Sirius looked down. "How on earth did you not know what he wanted?" he asked in a low voice. "Can't you tell when a man desires you?"

I laughed with a tinge of bitterness. "Oh, God. Do you think I cared then? I felt about half dead. James was the only thing that kept me going! That, and writing those ridiculous letters to you."

"They weren't ridiculous."

I shrugged. "They seemed it at the time. But they obviously served their purpose. So, are you done asking me about this? I stopped doing anything with him after that."

He stared at me. "Did you like it?"

"Like what?"

"Being kissed by another man?"

I thought back to it, trying to recall the situation. "Truthfully? Yeah. Not because it was another man. But it just felt good to be touched after all that time. Scared me, to be honest. So I quit going."

Sirius sat there for a moment, perfectly still. Then, apparently satisfied, he leaned over to my ear and whispered. "Well, you're mine now. And no other man's going to kiss you again. _And_ I have a little present for you, but it'll have to wait. Though maybe 'til after your mum's gone."

"What is it?" I asked softly.

"Can't tell you. I bought something in Diagon Alley, though, that I think you will like very much. Can't wait to use it on you." He smiled for the first time all evening. "I haven't forgotten how good it felt to be touched when we first saw each other after all those years. I'm sorry for being angry about it. He was just a bit of a shock, after all."

I kissed him. "Don't worry about it." I felt more relieved now.

The door opened and we felt a rush of cold air as my mother came back in with pink cheeks. "It's freezing cold out!" she said.

"That would be why we're inside," I answered, grinning. "Want something hot to drink?"

She peeled off her gloves. "That would be nice."

I got up to make some coffee, then remembered the old wand. "So what happened at Ollivander's?"

Sirius followed me in the kitchen and stood behind me, putting his arm around my waist. Mom had gone back to the bedroom, and he began to nibble on the back of my neck. "Oh, he was very impressed. He asked to keep it for a bit so he could examine it properly. So I left it with him for now. Hope that's alright." A series of slow kisses were making their way up and down my neck, and I didn't care if Ollivander kept the wand for two years.

"Yeah, that's fine," I said with my eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of being touched yet again.

"Come to think of it," he whispered, "I'm not sure I can wait until your mum is gone. We may just have her take Livia and James somewhere one day. Soon."

"Mmmm," I replied, taking his arm and wrapping it more closely around me. I hadn't realized how the busyness of having a tiny baby could make me forget these little intimacies, and I was glad Sirius seemed to understand about what had happened earlier. He broke away at the sound of Mom's footsteps.

"Here," I said, pouring her a cup when she walked in the room.

"The baby's still asleep," she said. "I looked in on her."

"Thanks. Ready to meet James?" I asked. "We'll get him tomorrow. I'm afraid that location may be a little more difficult for you to get to, so I'll have Sirius go get him and I'll wait with you and Liv. It's at King's Cross."

For the rest of the evening, we all sat in companionable silence, watching television, then eventually went to our rooms for the night. With Livia still dozing heavily in her little bed, I jumped into ours next to Sirius. Without speaking, I went to him. He pulled me on top of him and began to kiss me harshly. The roughness of his beard scratched my face as he devoured it with his lips. I slid him inside me, making an involuntary groan of pleasure. We both thrust our hips back and forth wildly, alternating between kissing and whispering about the things we'd been longing to do to each other.

Afterwards, we lay facing each other in the dark. "I have to say, I'm very happy you're breastfeeding," he said softly. "I like the enormous tits."

I laughed at his use of the word. "Livia likes 'em, too. Not as much as you, though, it seems."

He sighed contentedly. "All that shagging has only succeeded in making me want more very soon. It's been easy to forget lately."

"Well, it stands to reason with a two month old child. But I agree. I needed you badly." I smiled wickedly. "So what did you buy me?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," Sirius said with infuriating smugness. Then we kissed once more and I turned over. He pulled me close with my back to him, and kissed the nape of my neck. We slept.


	45. Payback

**Rated 'M' for sexual situations and language**

_Sirius_

Sirius went to the door. Livia was in his arms, looking around, and he had only just finished changing her dirty nappy when he had heard the thump of the doorknocker. Juggling his daughter while trying to turn the knob, he opened the door. Richard Martin was standing there. Sirius stared at him in surprise, and the other man appeared just as discomfited to be seeing him.

"Um. Hello. Would ... Laura be home, by chance?" Richard asked awkwardly. Sirius stood looking at him, growing quickly incensed by the man's presence so soon once more, and his lips formed a thin line of displeasure.

"No. She's out with our son and her mother. Something I can help you with?" Livia's little head bobbed a bit as she took in this stranger.

"Well, yes, I suppose you can. May I come in?" Sirius paused before he answered, taking in Richard's appearance. The other man wore an expensive dark suit, and Sirius assumed he must be some sort of businessman, though Laura hadn't mentioned what he did for a living.

"Certainly," he said, a bit harsher than he meant to. He swung the door open, and Richard walked through. Shutting it quickly behind him so Liv wouldn't get chilled, Sirius and Richard stood, as in their first meeting, looking cagily at each other. Sirius spoke first. "So, why are you here?" He didn't bother with small talk.

Richard wasn't much friendlier. "Alright. To be honest, I felt that I deserved a better explanation from your wife about what had really happened to you. She lied to _me_ ... well, to everyone. I'm wondering just what kind of person would do such a thing. And while you're at it, where were you all those years? You just _deserted_ her, did you?"

Sirius' mouth hung open at the other man's audacity. Finally, he spoke, his voice low with fury. "My wife had her own perfectly good reasons for what she did, and you have got some _nerve_ implying otherwise. And did it occur to you that it is absolutely none of your business what happened to me? All those things are between the two of us!"

"But she started showing up for a damn grief support group with some story that you had been killed in a motorcycle crash. D'you think we needed some sick perverted person in there listening to everything we were saying? I can only imagine how she must have gotten off on all _that_. Listening to me go on about my wife's cancer! Oh, God, she was _so_ sympathetic!" His voice was filled with disdain.

Sirius spied his wand sitting in the next room on the kitchen counter, and his fingers itched to hold it securely in his hands. Instead, he heaved a deep sigh with great effort. "Listen to me. I disappeared, suddenly. None of your business where. She was pregnant. I had no way of contacting her, and for all she knew, I _was_ dead. She tried desperately to find me, but couldn't. She had a very hard time of it, for twelve years. More than _you_ could possibly know. Finally we managed to find each other again, last summer. I would _never_ intentionally hurt her. I've loved her since I was twenty years old. We are happy now. If some sort of muggle support group helped her through that time, then good for her. And_ you_ will just have to get over it, I'm afraid. I'm very sorry about your wife, as I'm sure Laura is. But you haven't even spoken to my wife in ... how long? Why the outrage now?" He stood there, glaring at the other man as he patted Livia's back. The baby belched suddenly, and Sirius had to hide a ridiculous urge to laugh.

Richard stood there, with hands clenched. After a moment, he spoke. "Well, I'll just say, it's a good thing you're holding a baby, because I'd love nothing more than to punch you right in the face." Then he looked confused. "And what's a muggle?"

Sirius ignored the question. "I can put her down if you'd like," he said acidly. "But I think we both know that this isn't about some support group, is it?"

The other man was silent. Then he said, "For your information, I was respecting her wishes. I hadn't contacted her in quite some time. But-" he shrugged, now a bit defeatedly. "To answer your question, no, this isn't about the group. But it doesn't matter now, I suppose." He turned toward the door.

"Look, I think it's best that you don't come back here. She's happy now. I hope you understand," Sirius said, more softly now. Livia's head leaned against his chest, and she was now asleep. Richard looked at the baby, and opened the door. He walked out without another word, and Sirius soon heard the sound of a car starting. He took the baby into their room and put her gently down in her crib, then went into the kitchen and poured a glass of firewhiskey.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

That evening, Sirius and James played wizard chess as Laura and her mother made dinner, as James held his baby sister. They spoke for a long time about his studies, with Sirius reminscing fondly about the Marauders. At dinner James talked at length with his new-found grandmother, answering questions excitedly about Hogwarts and what went on there. Laura was glad to see that James felt comfortable around her mother, and likewise, and encouraged him to open up to her as much as possible. Sirius watched his wife closely, though, and every time they brushed past each other, he felt a renewed twinge of excitement about what he wanted to do to her. Unfortunately he'd had absolutely no time to institute this plan since Livia's birth, but he resolved to remedy that situation, and maybe the next day, if he was lucky.

"Do you think your mother can watch the kids for a while tomorrow?" he whispered in Laura's ear. She had gone to feed Livia later that evening, and he followed her in the bedroom. "There's something a bit special I'd like to do." He relaxed behind her as she reclined on the bed with the baby, and nibbled on her earlobe.

"And what's that?" she asked seductively. After their last encounter, she had been desperately wanting a repeat experience as well, though they hadn't had a chance.

"A surprise, I told you before. Don't ask so many questions." He began to kiss several spots on her neck, and Livia stopped what she was doing to look up quizzically. Soon she began eating again, and Sirius smiled at his daughter. "Ask her, and soon. Maybe for tomorrow, or otherwise we'll have to wait until after Christmas." The next day was Christmas Eve, and nothing special had been planned for the family.

"Okay, then. I'll tell her we're doing some last-minute shopping; how's that?" She made little noises of pleasure as he continued touching and kissing her.

"Whatever works, dear," he murmured, concentrating on the taste of her throat.

"So where _are_ we going?"

"Don't you worry about that. It'll be a surprise."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next day, Sirius and Laura left the house on his motorcycle that morning. "Don't worry, love, I won't let you get cold," he assured her as she looked dubiously at it. "Or at least you'll warm up soon enough." He winked at her, and she looked at him suspiciously. Her mother was well-stocked with pumped milk for Livia, and James promised to help her with the baby, and they watched as the couple prepared to leave. Laura looked at Liv for several seconds, hesitating to leave her for so long. "I told your mum where we're going. She'll call if they need us and we can come back quickly. We'll come back later today." He kissed her on the lips.

"We'll be back before too long, but call us if you need anything," Sirius told Barbara as he stuffed his wand into the leather jacket. Laura pressed herself tightly against him as the bike roared to life, and they took off down the road.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Well, this is swank, I must say. A suite? For just the afternoon?" Laura was very impressed.

"Only the best for you," he answered, grinning wickedly. "I thought we could make it in time for tea."

She snorted. "Yeah, right! But the Savoy ... pretty cool, Mr. Black. You did well."

He walked a few steps into the bedroom after her and closed the door behind him, holding his wand. "I think it's time," he said calmly. He looked salaciously at the tight white t-shirt and jeans she was wearing under her jacket. A black lace bra and an abundance of cleavage was evident through the thin material.

"Time? For what?" She stopped looking around in wonder at the surroundings and glanced curiously at Sirius.

"My little revenge," he answered, grinning more widely.

"Revenge?" she snickered, though her eyes shifted away from him. "I've no idea what you're talking about. _I _thought we were here for sex." She grinned mischievously at him.

"Oh, I think you know what I mean," he said. He walked over to the bed and sat down, pulling her close to him so that she was sitting in his lap. "You've had it coming for _quite_ some time."

She looked down at him with amusement. "Really? What have I done?"

"You maliciously hexed me to no end several months back. Remember, darling? I would have taken care of you then if you hadn't been pregnant. But now you're not, and ... it's time." The infuriating smile remained on his face.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I guess you can _try_," she challenged, though smiling at him. Then she remembered he had taken her wand from her and put it inside his coat with his when they left.

"Ah, the wand. I thought you'd be looking for that. So I hid it. Remember _that_ little trick?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I played _that_ little trick because I saw a picture of my husband trying desperately to kiss some Bulgarian tart! Then I apologized, remember? What would you have done if our positions had been reversed?"

"I wouldn't have done what _you_ did," he answered, unaffected by her indignant tone. "But now that I think about it, what I'm going to do _now_ would have been an excellent solution for you. Too bad you didn't think of this first." He smiled again.

Laura shrugged. "Alright. Do your worst." She moved away from him, leaning back on the bed, and looked at him expectantly.

"I plan to."

"Well, I can see already that you're looking forward to this." She smirked and tilted her head in the direction of a bulge in his trousers.

"Why, yes, I am," Sirius answered, looking down. He stood and pointed his wand at his wife threateningly, but then directed it suddenly at the bedside table. A plain brown box appeared, and Laura looked inquisitively at it.

"What's that?"

He ignored her question, feeling increasingly aroused. "You, my dear, have a choice. You can be a good girl and do as you're told, or ... on the other hand, if you're not, things will be much more difficult for you. Do you understand?"

"Well, I -"

"It's a 'yes' or 'no' question," Sirius said, his voice now very quiet. "Of course, either way, I may have to use this on you." He raised his wand slightly. "But your cooperation will make a huge difference. Do you understand?"

She paused, feeling mutinous. He pointed the wand at her. "Answer me." Finally, she nodded reluctantly. "That's not good enough. I want to hear you answer," he added loftily.

"Yes." She said it softly, and with some defiance.

"Now, that is _not_ the tone I think you should take with your husband," he said mockingly. "Say it like you mean it."

Laura looked at him disgustedly and started to stand, but Sirius pointed his wand at her and she sat back down, hard, on the bed. "Told you I'd be using this. And liberally, I might add. Now. You're not going _anywhere_." As he spoke, he was growing more excited at the thought of what he planned to do to her. "Say 'yes' like you want it very badly, sweetheart."

She looked up at him and felt, to her annoyance, a sudden wetness spreading quickly between her legs. "Yes," she said softly as it saturated her clothing, and she shifted slightly.

He pointed the wand at her once more, making her t-shirt disappear. "Nice trick," she added drily, although she was also growing even more aroused as he spoke. He leaned down so their faces were very close, though he didn't kiss her.

"Thank you. Now, we are going to have some _fun_ today." His voice was still very soft as he removed her jeans in the same manner. "_If_ you behave." His tone indicated that he fully expected her not to do that. Laura looked down at herself, clad only in the lacy underwear which he had picked out for her earlier.

He opened the box and pulled out a small chocolate. She laughed at the shape of it; a couple, naked and intertwined, in the midst of the act of love.

"Where did you get these?" she asked softly, examining it.

He held it tantalizingly in front of her mouth, and as the scent reached her nostrils, she suddenly had an inexplicable desire to swallow it whole.

She spoke again. "What are they?"

He shushed her and planted a very soft kiss on her lips, still holding the chocolate very close to her face. "Speak only when you're spoken to, naughty little girl. I'll have to smack your pretty bottom for that." He motioned for her to stand. She did, and he rubbed her bottom softly before delivering a hard rap with his free hand.

Laura gasped and put her lips together. Sirius took the little piece of chocolate and nudged them with it, forcing her lips back open. She noticed, with surprise, a positively intoxicating sensation that tingled almost painfully as it made contact with her mouth, and then he withdrew it. She was struck by another sudden urge to do whatever he wanted, anything so that she could taste more.

"Put it inside me," she told him breathlessly, licking her lips. "The chocolate, I mean."

He laughed and spoke again. "That's another one for you. Your bottom will be very sore by the time we're done, I'm afraid." She turned around immediately this time and bent slightly as he smacked her again, harder this time. After the exquisite stinging sensation of that delicious candy against her lips, all she could think about was how wonderful it would feel inside her mouth, even if it meant being punished.

Sirius turned her around once more to face him, and, without touching her, put the candy to her lips again. "Want a bite this time?" he asked softly.

She nodded excitedly, opening her mouth.

"Now ... you'll be quiet until I say you can speak, won't you?" he asked, holding her chin in his hand. Laura nodded again emphatically, wanting more than anything to taste that succulent chocolate again. He continued. "Now, take only a tiny bite. Any more than that and I'll punish you again. In fact," he added, thinking quickly, "suck it off my fingers first. A bit of it has melted." He put the piece in his other hand, holding up a finger from the empty hand in front of her mouth. "Suck it," he ordered softly. She did as she was told, wrapping her lips around his index finger and sliding her tongue excitedly around it, making sure she had licked all the chocolate off.

When she had finished with that finger, he reluctantly withdrew it from between her lips and inserted the other one. She repeated the same motions, this time taking her hand and lightly touching his groin. He moaned involuntarily, not taking his eyes off her as she licked enthusiastically. When she was done, Sirius took the piece and forced her lips open with it. The scent of it was driving him mad much as it did to her, though he didn't want to admit it. He wanted to stay in control.

Laura took a tiny bite of it as instructed, immediately feeling even more wetness and the incredibly warm sensation once more between her legs.

"What's wrong, darling?" he murmured with amusement as he watched her squirm.

"It's making me _so _wet," she admitted. "I want more. Now!"

Too excited to admonish her, Sirius shoved the remainder of the piece in her mouth and she chewed it, stroking his cock harder now.

"Suck me," he told her roughly, his voice thick with desire at seeing her in this state. He twined his fingers in her hair, trying to compel her to move down there.

Instead of obeying him, however, she grabbed another piece from the open box and forced it into his mouth before he could protest. "No. Eat it all," Laura told him, "then give me another one."

Any sense of restraint he may have had disappeared with the presence of the chocolate in his mouth. He swallowed it, tasting the beautiful tingly sensation in his mouth, and decided he couldn't wait any longer. He shoved his wife down on the bed. "Take my clothes off," he said harshly. She wasted no time in obliging, removing them quickly. He took the box and threw it on the bed beside them, then clawed the remainder of her clothing off fiercely. Shoving himself inside her, he took another piece and rubbed it liberally against her lips before allowing her to take a bite.

"_You_ lick it off," Laura gasped as he thrust himself repeatedly inside her. He now obeyed her and flicked his tongue around her mouth, growing more excited as they continued to eat it.

"Oh, God, you are _so_ fucking wet," he panted, taking the candy and forcing it into her mouth.

"Told you," she gasped, grabbing another one and shoving it at him. "What is this stuff? Oh, don't stop fucking me."

"I won't. It's ... a particularly concentrated form of amortentia," he growled, feeling the exquisite wetness drowning his cock.

"What the hell is amortentia, and do you have any more?" she gasped, gyrating her hips.

"Turn over!" he commanded, his voice still harsh. She did, hoisting her bottom up in the air, and caught her breath as a familiar tingly sensation made her clitoris feel suddenly even more swollen and sensitive. Then she realized he had taken some of the chocolate and rubbed it against her, forcing it to mix with her own juices. She cried out, climaxing immediately when he began to lick it off. When he was done, he repeated the movements until he had licked the entire piece off her. She buried her face in the pillow, feeling more spasms of pleasure overtake her as Sirius finished eating the candy and proceeded to put himself inside her once more.

"Oh, God, you are so incredibly delicious," he gasped. He lay down hard on his back and pulled his wife on top of him. "Fuck me."

"I'll do anything you want. But I think I'll return the favor just now," Laura said, taking a piece from the ever-dwindling box and rubbing it all over his cock seductively. He pulled her tightly against him upon feeling the exquisite sting slowly spreading over it. She couldn't resist taking all of him in her mouth, moaning at the mixture of sweet chocolate and the salty taste of her husband. He groaned again, pulling on her hair reflexively to move her closer. She took her mouth off his cock and moved up to his face. "You taste _so_ good," she whispered. A ring of chocolate encircled her mouth from her previous endeavor, and he wanted nothing more than to lap it up. She straddled him, twining her fingers in his, and forced him inside her.

"I want _more_," he said, moaning as she moved on top of him. She took the last piece of candy and put it in her mouth, holding it with her teeth. Leaning over while still making love to him, she gently offered him the candy with her mouth. He bit off half of it, and they both continued their efforts with renewed abandon, finishing the chocolate while kissing seductively and licking each others' lips. They moved faster together, experiencing the effects of the last piece as they continued to pleasure each other. "Oh, God, I want _more_," Sirius repeated, and Laura gave him what he begged for. He grew ever more excited, finally having an incredibly intense orgasm as she kissed him fiercely. Sweat dripped off her face and on his as she leaned heavily over him, panting. Finally she rolled off him and lay next to him, staring dreamily at the ceiling.

"Well," Laura said, once she was able to speak, "sex is always wonderful with you, but I think that was probably the best I've ever had. You are amazing." She leaned over to kiss Sirius' nose and continued to lay beside him. "You didn't tell me what amor- what did you call it- was?"

"I forgot. Amortentia. It's a love potion. Or really _lust_, more like. I'll confess there are much more innocuous forms of it in slightly more ... _legal_ establishments." He grinned wickedly, raising his eyebrows innocently skyward.

"You gave me something _illegal_?" Laura asked incredulously, though she snorted with amusement. "Where did you pick it up?"

"A little out-of-the-way place in Knockturn Alley," he said, sighing with contentment as he continued to touch her. "It's perfectly safe. Well, maybe _safe's_ not the right word. I'll be quite honest. James told me about it years ago. He and Lily had used it. I suppose I was a bit afraid of it back then, though."

She snorted. "You, afraid? After the mid-air sexual acrobatics you inflicted on me way back when we weren't even married? Pull the other one!"

He gave her a sly look. "Inflicted, huh? You seemed to enjoy it as much as I did, as I recall."

"Of course I did! You just caught me off guard, is all. It's just hard to imagine you being afraid of anything. You always seem so ... fearless."

"You think so? I wasn't yesterday. Your old friend showed up at the house." He looked at her.

She sighed. "You're kidding. Jesus, what did he want?"

"To tell me, in not so many words, that he was in love with you, I think. He thought you'd deceived everyone."

"What did you say?"

"Explained as much as I could. Then told him to leave and not come back."

She sighed. "You know, he was so lonely. I feel bad for him. I hope he finds someone he can love again. There was no way it was ever going to be me, though."

He kissed her, tenderly this time, then smiled. "I know."


	46. Ollivander's Findings

After our illustrious trip to the Savoy, we returned home, extremely refreshed, in time to spend Christmas Eve with my mother and the children. I had the chance to speak with James alone that night before bed, and he, characteristically, had not much to say, though he at least _seemed _content with the changes that had taken place since he started Hogwarts.

I sat on the edge of his bed as I was saying goodnight, when he quietly brought up an old topic.

"Mum, why was it you left home so young? Gran seems like a really nice person. You always made her sound like such an ogre."

I was surprised. "I did no such thing, James. I said we had many differences of opinion, but most of them stemmed from my dad."

"Well, Gran makes him sound like he wasn't so bad either," he said defensively.

I made a slight noise in my throat. "Well, of course _she_ does. He was just a very intolerant person, James, at least to me. I always thought he was a lot like Harry's uncle that we met that time. Y'know how some people go through life never seeming to learn anything new, or won't ever change as time goes on? I think he was like that. But he's gone now, and there's no point in talking ill about him. I will admit," I continued grudgingly, "that Mom is a lot better than I remember."

"Do you think Dad's parents were really all that bad?"

I looked at him somberly. "Yeah. If he says they were, then they were. Too bad for them, though."

James looked at me for a moment before speaking again. "Gran said she'd love for me to visit her sometime. Maybe for the summer."

I was silent for a moment. "Well, I'm sorry, James, but you are just a bit too young to be spending that much time away from us. You _are_ still getting to know your father, after all. You don't get to see him that much, or me, for that matter. I'm still getting used to this 'going off to school' stuff, myself."

He was indignant. "Maybe I want to go to America, though; at least for a little while!"

"We'll see. Maybe you can go for a few weeks. But not all summer long. And I suppose your gran could come back with you if she wanted."

He let the subject go after that, then I kissed him and said goodnight. When I stood to leave, I noticed Sirius in the doorway, watching us. He smiled and said goodnight to James, walking out of the room with me, though he seemed a tiny bit subdued. Once we were in bed together, I asked him if something was wrong.

"Not really," he replied. "Just wondering if I'll ever know him as well as you do. You both seem to have such a good rapport that I'm not sure I'll ever have with him."

"Oh, I think you will, Sirius. He really enjoys doing things with you. Just don't worry so much about being his mate, alright? That might come back to bite you, eventually."

"What does _that_ mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just that, sooner or later, you'll be required to act like a father, and he may not like you very much when you do. Not saying you don't now-" I added hastily at his indignant look. "But you haven't had to make any tough decisions on his behalf yet. _That's_ when the fun begins. But I don't mean to preach, honey. By the way, I love you."

"I love you, darling."

We kissed each other good night, then went to sleep immediately, feeling pleasantly exhausted from the day's events.

oOoOoOOOoOoOo

Christmas morning arrived, very different from the previous one that Sirius and I had spent together. James was much more animated this year with the additions of Livia and my mother, and showed no restraint in ripping open packages. Once again, I had stuck to the boring gifts, while letting Sirius take care of anything with a high 'cool' factor, and James was greatly impressed with his father's efforts. Livia received more clothing than toys, since she obviously wouldn't remember this year's celebration, but sat in her bouncy seat, watching us with wide-eyed curiosity.

Mom and I prepared dinner that day as Sirius and James went out for a ride on the motorcycle, though they promised me with great reluctance that they would keep it on the ground. James was disgruntled to be informed that he would have to wear a helmet, but obeyed grudgingly. Sirius gave me a lingering kiss before walking out, and looked suggestively at me to indicate he hadn't forgotten our activities from the previous day. Then they left, promising to be back before too long.

By now, I was much more proficient at combining wizarding technology with conventional muggle cooking methods, and dinner didn't take very long to prepare as a result. My mother had all but gotten over any reservations about magic, especially as it pertained to making meal preparation easier, and she appreciated the use of the wand much more.

When Sirius and James returned, Livia had risen from a nap and was making cooing noises at us. He smiled and took her from her blanket on the floor, and walked around while patting her back.

"Smells wonderful," he said, sidling up to me. "Ready yet?"

"Yeah, in just a _minute_," I said indignantly as Sirius sneakily tried to taste something. I slapped his hand away and he rolled his eyes at me playfully. Once everything was on the table, we all sat down to eat. Everyone seemed to have plenty to say, and there was no shortage of conversation. James and I had traveled extensively throughout Britain over the years, so he gave Mom many suggestions of interesting places to visit. Sirius had his own to add, as well, though I noticed a fleeting look of sadness on his face as James eagerly talked about the holidays he and I had taken years earlier.

I made a point of proposing an extended holiday for our family once James was out of school for the summer. Perhaps Harry could go, too, if he was free. Anything to keep him away from his dreadful aunt and uncle. I realized that my mother didn't know much of anything about Harry, so the remainder of dinner was spent telling Mom all about him and his deceased family. Then James grabbed some Christmas crackers.

"Alright, Dad, let's guess what's in them. Mum and I used to do that." He was referring to the tired and predictable prizes that were typically encased inside.

"Here," he instructed Mom. He convinced her to yank on one end as he did the other, chuckling gleefully when she jumped at the loud noise it made. She got the long end, and therefore was the winner, according to James.

"Wait," he said before she could pull her prize out. "I'm guessing it's one of those stupid paper crowns."

Sirius added, "I'm going with a 'fortune cookie'-trite phrase ... probably says 'He who throws dirt is losing ground,' or something."

They all looked at me for ideas. "A cheesy plastic ring," I said, shrugging. It was the one I always seemed to get.

She peered inside and pulled out a note. "Your family is young, gifted and attractive."

Sirius hooted with laughter. "Well, of course we are!"

My mother beamed at him and patted his cheek affectionately. Sirius looked back at her, smiling, and said, "We're so glad you came to visit."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Mom's time with us was coming to an end soon, as she had planned to leave, after James' return to school, to explore Britain on her own. I was surprised at her carefree attitude, having never remembered her being this way when I was growing up. The changes in her were impressive, after all, making me wonder if something about my dad's death might have freed her, in a way. Back when they were together, she never would have thought about traveling around alone, much less to another country. And at least our children would have one grandparent in their lives. The thought occurred to me that I might really miss her when she was gone.

So a few days before James was to return to Hogwarts, we all made one last trip to Diagon Alley, which she had declared was her favorite place in London. James immediately headed for the joke emporium so popular with kids his age, and we arranged to meet him after going into the wand shop. Mr. Ollivander had already contacted Sirius, saying he had some interesting information about the wand my mother had brought with her, and he was eager to share it with us.

Once the rest of us were ensconced in his crowded little shop, he pulled out the wand in question and devoted all his attentions to us.

"Wonderful to see you all again! And you, my dear, are looking very well!" I blushed and started to answer, then realized he wasn't speaking to _me _at all, but rather my mother. She reacted much the way I had and suddenly became quite fluttery, to my amusement. But then the wandmaker turned back to me and got down to business.

"Now. Where did you say you were from, my dear?" Ollivander scrutinized me carefully, as if looking for clues to my birth on my face.

"Eastern Tennessee. I've been here for many years, though."

He nodded several times with a furled brow, as this was the most intriguing thing he had heard all year. "Tennessee ... yes. Well, are you at all familiar with the origins of this wand?"

I shrugged. "No. My mother brought it over a few weeks back when she came to visit. It was the first time I knew about anyone else in my family who was magical. Apparently her mother and some of my ancestors were witches."

"Ah." He continued to nod profusely, and I looked to Sirius for some kind of explanation. Was this a nervous tic of his? Sirius tried not to grin at me, but merely looked back at the elderly wandmaker patiently. Apparently he was familiar with this personality trait.

"So," I said. "What did you find out? Anything?"

"Enough," was Ollivander's enigmatic reply. Then he spoke again, and the floodgates opened.

"You have a wand with a very unusual history, I'd wager," he pronounced. "Mr. Black here was kind enough to loan me this little book as well, and, I must say, there is a fascinating mixture of Irish and something else. I had no idea, at first, about the other language and spells. But I managed to do a bit of research, and it would appear that the book is obviously titled not in Irish Gaelic, but rather, a Native American language. Took me ages to figure _that_ out, as well, even using my wand as a translator. Do you, by chance, have any Cherokee in your ancestry?"

"Um, I'd say that's likely."

I shrugged and looked over at my mother, who was fascinated by this conversation, and she nodded. "Lots of people from our region have Native American ancestry. From what I know, there was one Cherokee man somewhere in our history, and a woman, my great-grandmother, from another tribe that was completely different, called the Eel River tribe. That group was from Indiana. My mother left this stuff for me, though, but never explained anything about it." I could tell by her tone that she hadn't quite gotten over this indiscretion.

"Well, that makes sense," Ollivander said happily. He gave my mother another long admiring glance.

Suddenly, the bell on his door rang loudly and someone walked in. The elderly wandmaker motioned curtly to one of his assistants to help them, and then turned back to us.

"The language on the cover appears to be in the Sequoyan syllabary." He showed us the front of the book. '_nvwodhi digohwe:li'_ merely means 'Medicine book' or 'Medicine papers,' though I believe that was written later and not on the original cover. Yet the text within is written in a mix of that, as well as Irish language, including several spells that you and your husband would be intimately familiar with. From what I could find, the syllabary wasn't in use until the early nineteenth century."

He looked expectantly at all of us. I was very impressed at all the information, considering that I had spent my whole life believing that I was completely alone with regard to anything magical. It was nice to know that I had a whole line of ancestors with the same trait.

He went on. "And of course you have the name Siofra o' Dubhuir, which is the Gaelic form of O'Dwyer, as it says. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of researching _her_ a bit further, as well." He raised his eyebrows as if confirming my acceptance of this.

I nodded, transfixed. "Did you find out much?"

"Oh, yes," he said with a big smile. "Went up to Hogwarts to check her out, as a matter of fact. All Irish witches and wizards have, for centuries, attended Hogwarts, and your ancestress was no exception. She attended Hogwarts back in the day when it was a six-year program, not seven. Finished her studies in 1743 at the age of sixteen. Went back home to Ireland. For reasons unknown, her family emigrated to America a few years later on the ship _Mary_, departing from Cork. I lost track of her after that, however. But she, or someone in your line, must have become acquainted with one of the Cherokee, or other native, along the way, who would have been skilled in healing. I'm wondering if this wand may have been fashioned, perhaps, in the next century by a descendent of hers, and used to that effect. It simply has some things in it that are not characteristic to our region and I need to research them all a bit more."

We were all ears. "So. What's the core of it?" Sirius asked impatiently.

Ollivander pounced on the question with enthusiasm. "Well! For one thing, there's a heron feather _and_ an eagle feather, intertwined. Not only that, but a substance which I have yet to see in a wand, which appears to be water, but I don't really believe that's what it is. I'm extremely curious about it, and managed to extract a tiny amount for testing. Shouldn't affect anything. And it's encased in hickory wood, which is very strong but flexible. Wonderful for charms."

He waved the wand around in illustration and went on. "Doesn't work very well for me. But I'm assuming you've already tried it?" He looked with raised eyebrows in my direction.

I nodded. "Just simple stuff, though. Nothing fancy." I smiled. "Worked okay."

"Oh, and I forgot. The origins of the name O'Dwyer, or rather _o' Dubhuir. _Did you know?"

"Never heard the name before. What does it mean?"

"It is Irish for _Black_, my dear. Perhaps you and your husband are distantly related." He gave us a playful wink.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

After our education at the hands of Ollivander was complete and Mom had promised to look into some genealogy upon her return home, we met up with James outside Gambol and Japes, then returned to the house. Our son had his hands full of loot he had purchased with a Christmas gift certificate from my mother, and was all smiles. I took Livia in my arms as Sirius helped him with all of his things. Then we spent the remainder of the day hanging around the house.

James spent quite a bit of time with Mom, showing her how some of the joke items worked. Then he discovered an unused Christmas cracker and slyly convinced his dad to pull it with him. Sirius, who knew that this was no ordinary Christmas cracker, made sure little Livia was far away in a bedroom with my mother before directing his son out of the house. They both sauntered out into the little garden out back. A few moments later came a blast so loud that every car alarm in the neighborhood began to wail, including mine. I took my wand, looking out the front window as I turned our alarm off, and couldn't help doubling over with laughter at all the neighbors pouring out of their homes in a blind panic. They all stood around in confusion, trying to figure out where the noise had come from. Meanwhile, Sirius and James walked casually back inside with blackened faces and huge grins.

"Check it out, Mum!" James happily held up a large Gryffindor banner. From Sirius' smug look, I realized that the cracker was a last little gift to his son, and the presentation had gone just as he had wanted. Father and son, indeed.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Mom had already bought a Britrail pass and decided that, upon James' return to Hogwarts, she would move on herself and explore England and Scotland for a bit before flying back from London. Then it would be just Sirius, myself and Livia once more. Even though neither she nor James had been at the house for very long over the holiday, we were rather sad that things would be getting back to normal.

On that morning, James, Sirius, Livia and I stood at a platform of King's Cross as my mother said her goodbyes. We had arranged to meet up once more when she made it back to London before flying back to the States. She was going on to Edinburgh and eventually the Scottish Highlands, though Sirius had warned her it would be a lousy time of year to be traveling in that direction. She wouldn't budge, however, and insisted that she would be fine. So we had a rather emotional goodbye, with lots of hugs, and then she boarded the train.

James was next. We made our way to Platform 9 ¾, disappearing through the brick until we were on the other side. James had all his belongings and immediately spotted his best friend, Ian. After giving us a quick hug and kiss, he boarded the Hogwarts Express and stepped into a compartment. We could see him talking excitedly to his friend as he pulled out some of the items he had gotten for Christmas.

Sirius looked after him wistfully for a minute, then turned to me.

"Ready to go?" he asked softly.

I nodded, teary-eyed. He put an arm around me, and with one last look at the train, we took our daughter and went home.


	47. A Goblet of Fire

24 February, 1995

"What's the American equivalent of Hogwarts?" I asked Sirius. We, along with James and Liv, were in the midst of considerable buzzing as patrons in the Three Broomsticks discussed the results of the second task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Harry had come off a winner; well, in a tie with another Hogwarts student, and school spirit was running high in the pub.

Sirius took a drink of his butterbeer, letting Liv have a taste off his finger. "I believe there are at least two or three," he said. "There's definitely one in New York City, though I don't know the name … something very artsy fartsy, I think. One in Boston, as well. And I've heard of a school in a Southern city. Perhaps Savannah or St. Augustine. I can't remember. I'll look it up for you, once we get home."

James grabbed my ancestral wand for probably the fifteenth time. "This is so bloody cool, Mum. Are you sure I can't take it back with me? I'll trade you mine!"

"No way, Jose. It's _my_ wand," I said, but I grinned at him. The wand was nondescript, and resembled nothing more than an intricately carved crooked tree branch. I loved it, though, and its reminder of my heritage.

"Did you actually get to see Harry coming out of the water?" James asked his father as he waved it around experimentally. "Bloody amazing job he did with the gillyweed."

"Yeah," Sirius answered, and he smiled, too. "Looked just like his dad." He was quiet for a moment, as usual when the topic of older James came up. But when he spoke, it wasn't about his old mate. "James, what d'you think of Professor Moody?"

James raised both eyebrows. "Well, he's knowledgeable, for sure. A bit … eccentric, maybe?" He had heard about Mad-Eye's involvement with the old Order, and watered down a more dubious description out of respect for his father. Sirius's stock had risen considerably once he had confided some of the tales of _that_ group with his son at Christmastime. "Ever met him, Mum?"

I shook my head. "Not before today. Heard all about him, though. He wasn't exactly what I expected."

"He's changed," Sirius said, but when I looked quizzically at him, he only shrugged. "Of course, haven't we all? Still seems a decent bloke, if a little extreme. He just has this odd facial tic that I don't remember from back when."

"The tongue thing?" I asked. "It did creep me out a bit, though not as much as that wandering eye. I hope it's not x-ray vision." I snorted, and Sirius grinned, giving my breasts a pointed look while James checked out Madame Rosmerta. "He seems very protective of Harry, though. Guess I can forgive him that, since somebody obviously has it in for the poor kid."

"Yeah. But not just that. Like I said, we've all changed a bit," he paused to lift Liv up, so she was looking over the back of his shoulder. All the nearby patrons began to goo-goo ga-ga her, trying to make her smile. "But there are some things he doesn't seem to remember anymore." He shrugged, and dismissed the train of thought. "Done with your soup, darling?" He glanced around at the people who were making funny faces for our daughter, and smiled indulgently on behalf of her babyish brilliance.

I nodded. "Why don't we walk around for just a bit before James goes back to Hogwarts? I've really missed Hogsmeade. I wish Mom could've seen it." We all stood, and Sirius bundled Liv up until she resembled a fat pink marshmallow. James, to his credit, took all Liv's attention with good humor. He was a far more popular kid at school this year once the truth of Sirius's innocence had come out, and I couldn't believe how much he had changed, even since Christmas.

Sirius paid the bill and we left, emerging into a bitter Scottish cold. In spite of the harsh weather, Hogsmeade couldn't look any more charming. Skinny winding chimneys, powder white rooftops, snow falling gently… I was reminded of my first Christmas reunited with Sirius, and I couldn't help smiling. He caught my eye, and I could tell he was thinking something along those lines, as well.

We wound our way around tiny village streets, with Sirius holding Livia close to his chest and James wandering along behind us. When we got to my former house, we stood outside the gate, staring at it. "This is the first place I saw your mum in twelve years. And the first place I ever saw you, James, other than in pictures."

James knew the whole story, of course, but he nodded anyway to humor Sirius. "You're one huge dog, Dad!" Sirius laughed.

"When is the last task?" I asked. I worried for Harry's safety. Exposing students to fire-breathing dragons first thing seemed like something no mother would ever consent to, no matter what the rules said. Although I was nowhere close to being Harry's mother, I knew Lily might have a few things to say about her son being forced to deal with all that. To my practical – and maternal – way of thinking, the whole Tri-Wizard Cup thing seemed like nothing but a load of crap. Sometimes I just didn't get the whole wizard mindset.

"Oh, it's not until spring." Sirius looked over James's head at me; he knew what I was thinking, as usual. "He has plenty of time to prepare. Ready to move on?"

#

We deposited James safely back at Hogwarts and made ready to take the train back to London. Once past the milk-run from Hogsmeade to Dovetown, Sirius relaxed a bit. We were now in muggle territory, and he preferred it that way. Nobody stared at him, other than me.

"Has your mother mentioned returning?" he asked.

"She said something about coming back in the summer or fall, if possible. Maybe we could double date with Ollivander." I smirked, thinking of his apparent fascination with Mom.

"I think not," Sirius answered, grinning back. "They're on their own, far as I'm concerned." Then the pensive look returned. "There's something I need to speak to you about."

"Okay," I said warily. "What's up?"

"Dumbledore asked me to be on notice. If and when Voldemort ever grows strong enough, he wants to regroup the Order."

"Oh." I didn't know what to say to that. But the maternal instinct I had felt for Harry switched to one more directed to my spouse. "I take it you'd join back up?"

He stared at me in disbelief. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking yes. But if that happens, I'm in, too."

"Oh Laura. I don't know …" Sirius frowned. "If something happened to me, the children should still have you, at least. I don't think you should."

"Well, then, neither should you," I said sharply. "They need their father, too. He took you from us for twelve years. How can you expect me to sit back and do nothing?"

Sirius sighed. "Well, it's not even worth discussing at this point. He may never come to full power again. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"No way. Of course you should, and I think we should have a plan, in case it ever happens."

We talked about a few possibilities, and then settled in for the remainder of the trip, which Livia fortunately slept through. I found myself wondering if she would be a witch, or perhaps a squib, like my mother. I hated to think of a non-magical child living in a wizarding household. Nobody had ever spoken of that circumstance, but I imagined that a person like that would have to be really good at keeping secrets.

"Sirius?"

He looked at me. "Yeah?"

"How common are squibs?"

"Not very." He glanced down at Livia's little bushy head and kissed the top of it before his eyes met mine, and he repeated the move against my lips. "Don't worry, darling. She'll grow up to be a beautiful, talented witch, just like her mother, and we'll be fighting off teenage wizards with spots soon enough."

#

The last months of the school year passed uneventfully enough. Sirius and I, with Liv, enjoyed London, and the coming of spring. We did mostly muggle things, yet traded letters with James and Harry on a regular basis. It wasn't until the third task of the Tri-Wizard Cup, in late June, that we returned to Hogwarts, and even then we were fairly confident that Harry would emerge unscathed, if not the clear winner. Sirius had begun to send daily owls with tips on how to get past the obstacles. And it was only a maze they had to get through; no underwater breathing, nor horn-tailed, fire-breathing dragons. Perhaps the third task was just a formality, I told myself, though Sirius laughed at my naivety. But then … we went to the school to watch it, and we saw the end.


End file.
